🔶 Marco Rubio: Machado can return to Venezuela

According to Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, the United States is not an obstacle to María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela’s opposition and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, returning to her country. In an interview in Spanish, Rubio said: “She is a Venezuelan citizen and has the right to travel to her country and return whenever she wants.”

The opposition politician to President Maduro’s government secretly left Venezuela in December 2025 to personally receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway’s capital. Shortly after that, Washington carried out a military operation in Venezuela and arrested Nicolás Maduro, the country’s president.

Washington now has close cooperation with Delcy Rodríguez, the interim president of Venezuela, and Machado has not, to date, participated in negotiations between the government and opposition figures backed by Washington.

The 58-year-old politician has repeatedly stated her intention to return to her country. After the devastating earthquakes that shook Venezuela in June, she said she would go there soon. However, according to media reports, at the time the U.S. government deemed such an action inappropriate and was concerned about her security.

In his interview on Tuesday, Rubio said: “We advised her.” He also clarified that the U.S. government wanted to ensure her security, but Machado was free to decide about her return.

Marco Rubio added: “That depends on her. We can’t prevent her from traveling anywhere.”