The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed this Monday that the Donald Trump administration held direct conversations with Venezuelan authorities led by Delcy Rodríguez to ensure the return of María Corina Machado to her country, after almost ten months out of the national territory.
During a phone conversation with journalists, reported by Associated Press and expanded upon by the Spanish newspaper ABC, Rubio explained that Washington had requested weeks ago that the opposition leader be allowed to return to Venezuela without facing any obstacles or reprisals.
"For weeks, and I mean several weeks, we spoke with the interim authorities and told them that our expectation was that she, as a Venezuelan, would be able to return to her country. It is her country, the country she comes from. She should be able to return without being disturbed and without any issues," Rubio stated, according to the translation published by ABC.
The Secretary of State revealed that the Government of Delcy Rodríguez responded that Machado was allowed to enter Venezuela and that he could even do so directly through an airport.
"They told us that he could land at the airport if he wanted to. And we communicated that to his team," he stated.
Machado returned to Venezuela this Sunday, after staying outside the country since December 2025, when she left clandestinely to travel to Norway and receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Her first public appearance took place in Barquisimeto, Lara state, from where she began a journey to Caracas and was greeted by supporters who came out to welcome her.
On Sunday, Rubio had already attributed Machado's return to the political reconciliation talks supported by the United States, but on Monday he provided new details about the efforts made directly with Rodríguez's government.
The head of U.S. diplomacy clarified that Washington had not attempted to prevent Machado's return, with one exception: the days following the earthquakes that affected Venezuela in June of this year.
Rubio explained that, at that time, the United States prioritized facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid, rescue equipment, and emergency flights.
“The only time I personally advised against returning was immediately after the earthquake”, he stated, according to ABC.
The official also acknowledged that Machado's previous attempts to return to the country encountered obstacles related to third countries, whose authorities had concerns about the diplomatic implications of facilitating the journey.
According to the information published by ABC, among the difficulties were Copa Airlines' refusal to allow Machado to board a commercial flight between Panama and Caracas and the inability to finalize alternative routes through Aruba and Curacao.
Rubio stated that those impediments were not due to opposition from the U.S. government and asserted that, according to the information available to Washington, Machado had managed to enter and move around Venezuela without incident.
"He had no trouble entering, nor has he had any once inside the country," he stated.
Rubio's revelation comes amid discussions between the interim Venezuelan authorities and opposition sectors to reform the electoral system and prepare for future elections.
The Secretary of State explained that Washington aims to leverage its influence over Rodríguez's government to ensure that the process moves forward and leads to free and verifiable elections.
“Our goal here is to have elections”, he stated, according to Associated Press.
The official insisted that Venezuela needs to stabilize its economy, rebuild its judicial and electoral institutions, and ensure conditions for political participation, including press freedom and access to the media.
Venezuelan authorities and opposition representatives agreed last week on a roadmap to introduce reforms that would allow for elections to be held in 2027, although there is still no official date for the presidential elections.
Rubio assured that the United States will maintain diplomatic and economic pressure to prevent the process from dragging on indefinitely.
"We have some deadlines that they have accepted and, so far, they have met each and every one," he stated, according to ABC.
The Secretary of State also defended the cooperation that Washington maintains with Delcy Rodríguez since the capture of Nicolás Maduro during the U.S. military operation on January 3, 2026.
Although Rodríguez has publicly criticized that intervention, Rubio maintained that his government has responded to several American demands.
"In the end, we do not judge this by rhetoric, but by facts," he stated.
Among the results mentioned by Rubio were measures for cooperation in security, institutional reforms, and a reduction of the influence of Cuba and Iran in Venezuela, according to his own assessment.
The official stated that the interim authorities have also collaborated in the delivery of individuals wanted by U.S. justice and mentioned the case of businessman Alex Saab. These claims align with the account provided by the Secretary of State during the conversation with journalists.
Rubio emphasized that Venezuela remains under U.S. sanctions and that the economic authorizations granted by Washington serve as instruments of pressure to demand compliance with political commitments.
The return of Machado has also prompted a public response from Delcy Rodríguez, who described the arrival of the opposition leader as a "show" on Monday and stated that she could have returned without turning her entry into a media event.
"I believe that politics must truly stop being a show because politics is something very serious," Rodríguez declared in statements broadcast by Venezuelan state television.
The acting president also demanded that Machado express remorse for having supported international sanctions and the U.S. intervention that led to Maduro's capture.
On its part, the Vente Venezuela party confirmed that Machado is willing to meet with Delcy Rodríguez as part of the political transition process.
The spokesperson for the organization, Claudia Macero, stated that the opposition leader is ready to engage in dialogue with anyone necessary, as long as the conversations lead to tangible agreements for the country.
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