María Corina Machado visited the national headquarters of her party, known as "El Bejucal," in the Chacao municipality of Caracas, for the first time in over two years, in a visit filled with emotion that marked her return to Venezuela after a long period of persecution and exile.
The opposition leader returned to the country on Sunday, October 25, ending almost ten months outside of Venezuela. Her first public appearance was at the Santa Rosa church in Barquisimeto, Lara state, from where she began a land journey of about 400 kilometers through four states to arrive in Caracas that same night, confirming her return with the message "I am here. With you."
Two days later, her arrival at El Bejucal was met with shouts of "She's here!" from state coordinators, workers, and party members who were waiting for her at the headquarters.
Vente Venezuela described the moment on its social media: "Our national house, El Bejucal, is adorned with hope. It arrives at its headquarters embraced by its state coordinators and by an entire team that never stopped working, organizing, and fighting in every corner of Venezuela."
The images of the reunion, shared by the party, featured hugs, tears, and a crowd of phones capturing the moment. "Every face, every handshake, and every tear in El Bejucal encapsulate the love of a team and a country that has never stopped fighting," the organization stated.
In his address to those present, Machado stated that Venezuela will be "a reference for the world" due to the resilience of its people against the dictatorship, and he reiterated his aim to promote a democratic transition with free and verifiable elections.
The return was made possible thanks to diplomatic efforts by the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Washington negotiated with the Venezuelan government of Delcy Rodríguez weeks prior, stating that he expected Machado could enter without obstacles or reprisals. Venezuelan authorities even asserted that he could enter through an airport.
Rodríguez, however, downplayed the return and called it a "show", stating that "it could have been avoided, the airports are available," and demanded that Machado express "repentance, remorse, and rectification" for his previous political conduct. Diosdado Cabello supported this stance.
The return marked the end of a clandestine period that lasted from August 2024, when Machado hid in Venezuela after supporting the protests that followed the presidential elections, in which the Chavista regime proclaimed Nicolás Maduro the winner despite widespread allegations of fraud.
On December 9, 2025, she left the country covertly, traveling overland to the coast and then by boat to Curacao, to travel to Oslo, where the Norwegian Nobel Committee had awarded her the Nobel Peace Prize 2025. Her daughter Ana Corina Sosa accepted the award on her behalf on December 11 of that year.
After leaving, Machado attempted to return at least seven times between June and September 2026, being blocked on all occasions. The most documented attempt was the so-called "Operation Ithaca" on September 21 and 22, during which Venezuela denied her entry three times in less than 24 hours, blocking flights from Panama City and canceling a maritime departure.
At the same time as their return, the Unitary Platform presented a "Great National Agreement" with 14 initiatives to democratize Venezuela and a roadmap toward general elections that includes Machado leading the process.
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