CARACAS — Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado held demonstrations on Sunday to demand her safe return and presidential elections. In Caracas, hundreds of activists wearing sky blue shirts rode motorcycles and drove through the city’s main avenues, honking horns and waving Venezuelan flags. Similar demonstrations were held in state capitals including Valencia, Maracaibo and Merida.

"This is not a matter of parties or politics," said Flavio Valentini, a Vente Venezuela activist in Caracas who grabbed a megaphone and addressed the crowd. "This is a movement for the people and by the people."

Maria Corina Machado has been living in exile for the past nine months. She is currently based in Panama. Her party says she has made seven unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela this year.

Machado was barred from running in Venezuela’s last presidential election by courts under the control of former President Nicolás Maduro. Her stand-in candidate is widely believed to have won the last presidential election with almost two thirds of the vote. Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in the last presidential election and unleashed a violent crackdown against dissidents who protested the official results.

The crackdown forced Machado and dozens of opposition leaders to go into hiding. She smuggled herself out of Venezuela last year after she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

A U.S. military operation removed Nicolás Maduro from power in January. The Venezuelan government is now led by Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro ally. Rodríguez has opened Venezuela’s oil industry to foreign investment and is working closely with the Trump administration. The U.S. interim government in Venezuela, led by Rodríguez, has prioritized economic stabilization and institutional reforms before holding elections, as outlined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in September 2026.

Delcy Rodriguez told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that Venezuela would hold elections as part of a transition to “full democracy”, but did not give a date for the vote. Venezuela released more than three dozen political prisoners late last week following a second round of talks backed by the US between the interim government and the opposition. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez returned from her first visit to the United States without announcing any major business agreements or setting a firm date for elections.

Rubio said in a news conference earlier this month that Machado has “every right to enter her country whenever she wants to return.” He said the United States would like to see thousands of Venezuelans return to their country and “open the businesses that they lost.” On Wednesday, he said he was unaware of Machado’s most recent efforts to go back to Venezuela. He has argued that before holding new elections, Venezuela must stabilize its economy and rebuild its institutions, like its courts and its electoral council. Trump administration officials deny they are holding Machado back from returning to Venezuela.

Trump administration officials have said that on some occasions they have advised Machado not to return to the country due to safety concerns. He has long supported the Venezuelan opposition, including backing efforts to oust former President Nicolás Maduro in 2019.

"We hope this transition process leads us to presidential elections and consolidates a free, democratic country that will be the main ally of the United States," said Anthony Romero, a leader for Vente Venezuela in the nation’s capital.

Why It Matters

The demonstrations represent a continued push for democratic transition in Venezuela following the removal of Nicolás Maduro and the installation of an interim government led by Rodríguez. The interim administration has prioritized economic stabilization and institutional rebuilding, including courts and the electoral council, before holding new elections, a stance supported by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While Rodríguez has promised a transition to full democracy at the United Nations, no date for elections has been set, leaving opposition supporters demanding both Machado’s return and a clear electoral timeline.

Machado’s inability to return despite seven attempted entries this year shows ongoing tensions regarding political access and safety in the post-Maduro landscape. Her exile followed a violent crackdown in 2024 and her subsequent smuggling out of the country after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The U.S. maintains that Machado has the right to return but has occasionally advised against it due to safety concerns, while Venezuelan authorities deny blocking her entry. The release of political prisoners and ongoing U.S.-backed talks indicate a fragile negotiation process between the interim government and the opposition.

Timeline

Machado has made seven unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela this year, according to her party.

Machado’s party stated that on Monday night, the opposition leader made three unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela. Machado attempted to return to Venezuela by sea, but the company that chartered her boat canceled the trip hours before leaving, alleging its vessel was unfit for navigation.

What's New

On September 27, 2026, opposition supporters in Caracas held demonstrations with hundreds of activists wearing sky blue shirts, the color of Machado’s Vente Venezuela party, as part of a nationwide movement demanding her return and free elections. Machado was barred from the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election by courts under Nicolás Maduro's control, leading to her exile and the replacement of her candidacy with Edmundo González, who later won two-thirds of the vote according to audit data. In March 2026, prior to the September 2026 demonstrations, Venezuelan opposition supporters held protests in Caracas demanding Machado's return, citing her leadership role in the 2024 election and the disputed results that led to her exile.

Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 for her role in leading Venezuela's opposition and advocating for democratic reforms. He stated in January 2026 that the Trump administration had advised Machado not to return to Venezuela due to safety concerns, despite asserting her right to enter the country freely. In 2024, Venezuela's Supreme Court barred Machado from running for president due to alleged financial irregularities during her time as a legislator.