Machado reiterates return to Venezuela amid earthquake aftermath

María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has reiterated her pledge to return to her country, a promise she says is being fulfilled "step by step." In a social media post on July 7, 2026, Machado wrote, "I will return. Not as an event, but as a promise that is kept step by step, because my place is there, with you." She acknowledged obstacles placed in her path but vowed continued support for victims of the recent earthquakes, which according to government reports have left 3,535 dead and 16,740 injured. Source: infobae

Machado has been abroad since December 2025 to receive her Nobel medal in Norway, after nearly a year in hiding to avoid arrest on charges she denies. Following the June 24 earthquakes (magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5), she announced her intention to return but subsequently accused the acting government of Delcy Rodríguez of closing the airspace to prevent her from coming back. Source: diariolibree However, according to The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration pressured Machado to postpone her return, fearing a political crisis in the quake's aftermath. This highlights a discrepancy between Machado's account of government obstruction and reports of external pressure. Source: diariolibree

Machado maintains that neither obstacles nor the shifting global attention will deter her commitment. "I know many fear that even we will abandon them, that the country will forget when the cameras turn off. I want you to know this: we will never abandon you," she stated. Source: infobae Meanwhile, the Venezuelan authorities continue to accuse her of terrorism and conspiracy, charges she rejects.