The Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed the return of María Corina Machado to Venezuela this Sunday to the political reconciliation talks supported by Washington, in a message posted on his X account just hours after the opposition leader set foot on Venezuelan soil for the first time in nearly ten months.
"The conditions that allowed for the safe return of Mrs. Machado to Venezuela are the direct result of reconciliation talks supported by the U.S., which have already enabled the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the return from exile of numerous opposition figures," Rubio wrote.
The Secretary of State urged all Venezuelan political actors to support the negotiation process, which he described as "the best opportunity Venezuela has had in thirty years to peacefully achieve not only free and fair elections but also a lasting democracy."
Machado returned to Venezuela this Sunday and confirmed her arrival with a brief message on X: "I am here. With you." Her first public appearance took place at the Sanctuary of the Divine Shepherdess in Barquisimeto, Lara state, where she was welcomed with hugs and supportive chants.
The return marked the end of a long series of failed attempts: between June and September 2026, Machado tried to return at least seven times unsuccessfully, hindered by flight restrictions and a lack of landing authorizations. The most striking episode was the so-called "Operation Ithaca" on September 22, when she attempted to return three times in less than 24 hours from Panama City, by sea and to various islands in the Caribbean.
According to a report from ABC, the return was made possible through an international diplomatic operation that met no opposition from the White House.
The dialogue that Rubio credits with the achievement faces the Venezuelan government led by acting president Delcy Rodríguez —following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January 2026— against the opposition represented by the National Assembly elected in 2015, led by Dinorah Figuera. The third round concluded on October 21 with agreements on the review of political disqualification laws, the selection of 32 new magistrates for the Supreme Court, and the management of Venezuelan assets at the Bank of England. The State Department reported that the process has allowed for the release of over 1,000 political prisoners since the beginning of Operation Absolute Resolve.
However, the process is not without criticism. Machado denounced on October 16 that Washington had excluded her from the negotiations, an accusation that the State Department rejected. Former ambassador Michael McFaul warned Rubio that supporting "autocrats and oligarchs" in Venezuela undermines the credibility of the U.S. to promote democracy in Cuba.
From Madrid, the exiled president Edmundo González Urrutia celebrated the return with emotion: "I am very excited to announce that our leader, my dear María Corina, is on Venezuelan soil. Today is a very important day for all Venezuelans." González Urrutia also announced that he would be returning "very soon."
Trump reacted cautiously when asked by reporters: "She is a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize, so how can I say otherwise? And I hope she is safe." A fourth round of negotiations is scheduled for November 2026.
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