Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado announced Monday that she is “willing to do whatever it takes” to get back into Venezuela and assist with recovery efforts in the wake of two major earthquakes that struck the country last week.
Speaking from Panama, where she is currently based, Machado accused the Venezuelan government of preventing her from returning home. In a video she posted on X, she declared that she “will be in Venezuela to help coordinate and encourage citizens’ efforts during the emergency.”
She offered no additional details about how she plans to make her way back into the country.
Machado had spent time living in hiding inside Venezuela after claiming victory in the nation’s disputed 2024 presidential election. Last December, she secretly escaped the country by boat, traveling to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize — an award she later presented to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Her determination to return has created friction in Washington. A White House official told Reuters on Saturday that Machado has reached out to multiple U.S. administration officials — including contacts at the White House, the State Department, and members of Congress — seeking support for a potential return to Venezuela.
The situation surrounding Machado’s future role in Venezuela shifted earlier this year when U.S. forces captured former President Nicolas Maduro in January, raising hopes among some in the opposition that Machado, 58, would step into a leadership position in governing the country.
However, Trump threw his backing behind Maduro’s former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, stating that Machado did not have enough support to lead Venezuela in the near future.
Before the earthquakes struck, Machado had already indicated she planned to return to Venezuela before the year’s end.
“At this moment, I am willing to do whatever it takes, speak to whoever I need to speak to, in order to coordinate and serve our people,” Machado said Monday.
