The economist and former Venezuelan politician Henrique Salas Römer mentioned in an interview with CiberCuba the possibility of María Corina Machado returning to Venezuela in the context of the crisis generated by the earthquakes on June 24, a situation that has reignited the debate about the role of the opposition leader and the conditions for her eventual return to the country.
Its argument is based on a decisive premise: "Unfortunately, Edmundo González Urrutia did not take the oath, in which case María Corina would currently be the executive president," says Salas Römer, who explained that since this investiture did not materialize, Machado lacks a position, institutional command, and military support.
"At this moment, even though I understand her anguish about being present, from a legal standpoint, as a very influential and respected person worldwide, she cannot do anything," asserts the analyst. He goes further: "What can she do in Venezuela right now? She has no authority, no army, no power. What could happen is that she risks her life unnecessarily."
The debate about Machado's return to Venezuela intensified following the devastating earthquakes on June 24, 2026, which resulted in between 920 and 1,450 deaths and estimated damages of 6.7 billion dollars. The opposition leader announced from her exile in the United States that she would return "very soon" to stand with her people, stating: "The time has come; it is my duty to stand with my people."
However, her specific attempt to fly from Virginia to Curacao —with the intention of entering Venezuela— was blocked by the Trump administration itself, which warned her that the return would be at her own risk and without support from Washington. White House officials described the attempt as "counterproductive" and "ill-timed," according to reporting by Bloomberg. Copa Airlines also refused to transport her out of fear of retaliation from the Venezuelan regime, and the government of Delcy Rodríguez closed the airspace to prevent her entry.
Salas Römer, who reveals having personal connections with Machado —"we even have family ties through my children's marriage"— does not hold back in praising her. He highlights "her seriousness, her integrity, her reasoning ability, her executive capacity, her maternal spirit" as attributes that work in her favor, even more than the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 she received: "Much more than the Nobel Prize and all this stuff, which is a well-deserved recognition but is beside the point."
But admiration does not change her diagnosis: "What is she going to do in the midst of this tragedy? It doesn't add up."
The analyst also rejects the interpretation that Venezuelan society has resigned itself to Rodríguez's interim government. "I don't believe that. I think they are rethinking. They are rethinking the situation," he says, revisiting his metaphor of the "broken guitar" to describe a regime that cannot function no matter how much one tries to tune it.
This Friday marks the end of the constitutional deadline of 180 days, which could lead to the declaration of absolute absence of the president and the calling for new elections in Venezuela. This adds a critical legal dimension to the current situation and increases the pressure on all political actors in the country.
"Managing this for any government is extremely difficult; for a delegitimized government, it must be overwhelming and can generate much more discontent than there is now," concludes Salas Römer.
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