Claudia Macero, communications coordinator for Vente Venezuela and one of the closest collaborators of María Corina Machado, returned Sunday night to Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, in Caracas, after over a year abroad.
Her arrival rekindles expectations regarding the possible return of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has been trying to return to Venezuela for months without success, CNN reported.
The activist's return coincided with a caravan organized that same Sunday by the Comando ConVzla in various states across the country, where participants demanded guarantees for Machado's safe return, the establishment of an electoral timetable, and the holding of presidential elections in 2027.
Macero took advantage of his arrival to deliver a direct message to the government of Delcy Rodríguez: "Everyone here needs to measure up. There's nothing better than winning an election if you compete against the best and come out on top. Let María Corina come; let them compete, let's have elections, set the date."
Regarding when the opposition leader might return, Macero admitted that he does not have a specific date. "As you have seen, it has been quite difficult," he pointed out, adding that Machado has attempted to return to Venezuela on seven occasions since she left clandestinely in December 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.
The Machado team reported this week three failed attempts to return from Panama, by both maritime and aerial routes, without clearly identifying those responsible. On Friday, Jorge Rodríguez, chief negotiator for Chavismo in dialogue with a sector of the opposition, denied that Venezuelan authorities are hindering her return.
Macero is not the first figure from Machado's inner circle to return to the country. A month earlier, Omar González had done so as well, who also sought refuge at the Argentine Embassy residence in Caracas and described his return as “the anteroom to the arrival” of the former deputy.
Both were part of the group of opposition members —alongside Magalli Meda, Pedro Urruchurtu, and Humberto Villalobos— who sought refuge in that diplomatic mission since March 2024 and were rescued in May 2025 through the so-called "Guacamaya Operation," with support from the United States. In recent months, leaders Richard Blanco, Juan Pablo García, and Lester Toledo have also returned.
Henry Alviarez, coordinator of Organization of Vente Venezuela, described these returns as part of a gradual process: "This is a progressive issue. We are also working towards the arrival of María Corina Machado, who should be approaching Venezuela soon."
Meanwhile, Rodríguez stated before the UN General Assembly that "there will be elections in Venezuela" and that a political dialogue has begun with opposition sectors, although he did not specify any date for the elections.
Machado herself, at an international forum on democracy organized by the OAS to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, stated that she hopes to return "very soon" and that "in the coming weeks" a decisive stage for Venezuela could begin.
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