Machado fails three times to return to Venezuela, as Rodriguez meets Trump in New York

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado made three unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela in recent hours, her team and the Spanish newspaper ABC reported on Tuesday, while interim president Delcy Rodriguez was meeting U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.

Machado’s adviser, Pedro Urruchurtu, said on social media that the latest sea and air efforts were among seven failed return attempts since she secretly left Venezuela nine months ago. A Machado spokesperson confirmed the announcement; Machado herself has not commented publicly.

U.S. officials privately asked Machado to delay her return after the June earthquakes in Venezuela and opposed her attempt to return to the country, according to sources familiar with the matter. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Machado has been in exile since late last year, following a period in hiding after the contested 2024 elections; she had promised to return after the fall of Nicolas Maduro and two major earthquakes that struck the country.

The meeting between Trump and Rodriguez was the first since U.S. forces captured then-president Nicolas Maduro during the January raid. The meeting took place Tuesday evening on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly; Rodriguez is expected to address the Assembly on Wednesday afternoon. The Venezuelan delegation aims to present the country as an “investable” destination, while critics say Washington has neglected the Machado-led opposition, dropping the demand for free elections in favor of oil deals with the interim government.

Source: Reuters