Machado Returns to Caracas, Asserts Path to 2027 Vote

María Corina Machado spoke from a university campus in Caracas on Thursday, declaring that the transition in her country is moving irreversibly toward a presidential election in 2027.

The opposition leader arrived in Venezuela on Sunday after ten months in exile. She reiterated that her primary objective is the complete dismantling of the repressive system and the release of all political prisoners.

Machado denied having contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez. She said she had not received any message from Rodríguez or from Washington regarding a possible meeting.

Earlier on Thursday, Rodríguez addressed the nation in a message stating that elections will be held. The interim president specified that the vote will be organized by a renewed electoral authority with the world as witness. Rodriguez added that the election should not be a problem nor take the country back to times of confrontation.

Machado aligned her timeline with the three phases for political change outlined by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio: stabilization, recovery, and transition. She stated that these phases are leading to the 2027 vote.

The politician’s return followed seven failed attempts that opposition activists claimed were thwarted by the Venezuelan government. Rubio affirmed that the safe return of Machado resulted from reconciliation talks supported by the United States. He described this moment as the best opportunity Venezuela has had in three decades to achieve free and fair elections.

Machado, who won the opposition primary with more than 90% of the vote in 2024, said she will maintain a strong relationship with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. She credited Trump’s actions in the January 3 raid that captured former President Nicolás Maduro with opening the door to freedom for a democratic transition. Neither Machado nor her political platform are participating in the current reconciliation dialogues, though she stated she will not obstruct them.