Maduro Opponent Machado Vows to Return to Venezuela, Calls for Elections

Photograph by Jesus Vargas / Getty Images

María Corina Machado.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has pledged to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible”, renewing calls for a free and fair election as the country remains mired in political turmoil.

Speaking in an interview published on Tuesday, Machado said her return would be aimed at pushing for democratic change and restoring the Venezuelan people’s right to choose their leaders at the ballot box. She insisted that President Nicolás Maduro’s government lacks legitimacy and argued that the opposition would win decisively if elections were conducted transparently.

Machado, a former lawmaker and one of the most prominent figures in the opposition movement, has been barred from holding public office by Venezuelan authorities. Despite this, she emerged as the clear favourite in opposition primaries last year, consolidating her position as a key challenger to Maduro’s long-standing rule.

She has spent recent months outside Venezuela amid mounting pressure on opposition figures, including arrests, investigations and travel restrictions. Maduro’s government has repeatedly accused opposition leaders of conspiring with foreign powers, allegations they strongly deny.

Venezuela has faced years of economic collapse, mass emigration and international sanctions, with Western governments questioning the credibility of past elections. The opposition argues that any political settlement must include guarantees for electoral integrity, the release of political prisoners and the lifting of bans against candidates.

Machado said she remains committed to a peaceful, democratic transition and urged the international community to continue pressing for credible elections. The government has yet to respond to her latest remarks.

Sources: Reuters, Geo News, and Al Jazeera


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