Machado returns to Venezuela after months of exile

Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, returned to Venezuela after over 10 months in exile. Her return is seen as a significant step towards democratic transition and fair elections. Supporters, including former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, welcomed her back, emphasizing her commitment to freedom and justice for Venezuelans. Machado's return coincides with rising tensions in the country, where protests have been organized to demand the release of political prisoners and the scheduling of presidential elections. She had previously fled Venezuela following a brief detention during protests in January 2025 and received the Nobel Prize in Norway for her activism against the Maduro government.