Supporters of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gather to demand that a date be set for presidential elections in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. Ariana Cubillos/AP hide caption

Ariana Cubillos/AP

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela after ten months abroad, announcing her arrival in a social media post.

In a post on X, Machado declared: "I'm here, with you all."

According to her campaign team, Machado made her first public appearance among worshippers at the Church of Santa Rosa in Lara State, in western Venezuela, where she was quickly surrounded by an ecstatic congregation.

Her return poses a challenge to interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over after U.S. forces captured former leader Nicolás Maduro in January.

The Trump administration has repeatedly sidelined Machado, despite her prominence in the opposition.…