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The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado ruled out on Friday having arranged any type of protection to facilitate her return to Venezuela, amidst the political pressure surrounding her attempt to return to the country following the devastating earthquakes of June 24.
“I neither require nor have requested any type of protection, nor has any security resources been assigned to us,” she stated in a virtual meeting with the press.
In response to the question of who would ensure her safety in a country where she faces charges of terrorism, conspiracy, and treason, the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize answered without hesitation: "Everyone asks me: Who will take care of you? Well, millions of Venezuelans."
Machado also took advantage of the press conference to describe Venezuela as a "failed state" due to the government's response to the earthquakes, which according to official figures have resulted in at least 2,595 dead and 12,400 injured. "This week has made that clear, the total absence of state capabilities (...). The country needs certainties," he stated.
The opposition leader's attempt to return was triggered by the earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 that shook Venezuela on June 28, with epicenters in the state of Yaracuy. Machado then announced that she would return to "support my people," but the government led by Delcy Rodríguez closed the commercial airspace to prevent her entry, a measure that was later reversed.
The obstacles posed by the regime were compounded by Washington's stance. According to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, the Trump administration actively hindered the trip, warning that he would be traveling at his own risk and without U.S. support. A senior White House official even described the attempt as "grotesque political opportunism," according to Axios on July 1.
This Friday, Machado insisted that she will return and emphasized that her goal is to contribute to the humanitarian emergency. She also expressed being "deeply grateful" to the United States and other countries for their support.
The political context adds a dimension of urgency: this Friday marks the constitutional deadline of 180 days—counted from the moment Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency on January 5, 2026, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro—to declare the absolute absence of the president and call for new elections.
This is not the first time that Machado has announced an imminent return without actually following through. On March 1, she declared that she would return "in a few weeks," and by the end of that month, her party Vente Venezuela stated that it would be "in the coming days." However, those deadlines were not met either.
Machado left Venezuela clandestinely in December 2025, taking a boat to Curacao, to collect the Nobel Prize medal in Oslo after more than a year living in hiding within the country to avoid being detained. Her daughter Ana Corina Sosa received the award on her behalf on December 10, 2025.
The question of when and how the return will occur remains unanswered, as the constitutional deadline that could redefine Venezuela's political future is set to expire this Friday.
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