Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, says she intends to return to Venezuela before the end of 2026 if she can secure credible guarantees for her safety.
María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s best-known opposition figure, says she hopes to return to the country sooner than previously expected, but only if she receives what she describes as firm security guarantees for herself and her family.
Machado’s remarks come after a U.S. operation in early January 2026 led to the detention of then-President Nicolás Maduro and the installation of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president, according to reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press. (investing.com)
Machado has argued that international pressure—particularly from Washington—should continue to push Venezuela toward a democratic transition and new elections. In interviews earlier this year, she said she planned to return “as soon as possible,” while also warning that she remains at risk if she goes back without protection. (kfgo.com)
Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for her work advocating democratic rights in Venezuela, according to the Nobel Prize organization. (nobelprize.org)