María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on October 26, 2026, after nearly a year in exile, arriving unannounced in Lara state and travelling by caravan to Caracas through cheering crowds. She had left late last year by speedboat to collect her Nobel Peace Prize and was blocked from returning by Delcy Rodríguez's government. Reporting describes the return as coming with a green light from Washington and as an important step toward a democratic transition. Machado now says elections will be held in 2027 and is questioning an oil deal that hands the US 20% of Venezuela's reserves.