Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado tried three times in the past 24 hours to return home but was unable to complete the journey. Machado sought to travel from Panama to Venezuela by different routes, according to a person with direct knowledge of her plans. The attempts came as acting President Delcy Rodríguez visited New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where she met with U.S.
The efforts included plans to travel by boat and to fly to the Caribbean islands of Aruba and Curacao before continuing by sea, the person said. Colombia’s NTN24 first reported the attempts earlier Tuesday. The failed attempts by Venezuela’s most-popular politician underscore the obstacles she faces as she seeks a role in the U.S.-backed political transition following former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s capture in January.
They also highlight the divergent paths of Machado and Rodríguez as Washington deepens its engagement with the acting president while keeping its distance from the opposition leader. The growing U.S. ties with Rodríguez are also testing its stated commitment to a democratic transition in Venezuela. Rodríguez met with Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering, according to a White House official.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also attended. The encounter is the most visible sign yet of the rapprochement between Washington and Caracas. Trump has recognized Rodríguez’s authority, eased sanctions and deepened economic ties with her government, most recently through a major oil agreement.
In his U.N. speech, Trump highlighted his administration’s cooperation with Rodríguez’s government and cast the oil deal as a reward for the U.S. raid on Caracas that led to Maduro’s capture, declaring, “To the victor belong the spoils.” Machado’s daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, said Tuesday that her mother was actively trying to return but acknowledged that the process was complicated. Sosa spoke after accepting the 2026 Concordia Leadership Award on her mother’s behalf in New York. Machado participated virtually in the ceremony and is expected to address the issue in the coming hours.
Machado has made several previous unsuccessful attempts to return, including in June when her plane was forced to divert. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published last week, she said she was prepared to leave at a moment’s notice and could enter Venezuela by land, sea or air. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the latest attempts were coordinated with Washington or whether Machado had received security guarantees.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
