Venezuelan opposition leader Machado remains in exile, deputy Macero returns

Venezuelan opposition politician Claudia Macero has returned to her homeland from two years of exile. She was welcomed by hundreds of supporters at the airport in Caracas on Sunday evening. The 34-year-old is considered the main deputy of opposition leader María Corina Machado.

Machado himself has been prevented from returning to the South American country several times since left-wing nationalist leader Nicolás Maduro was captured during a US military operation in January. Just a few days ago, according to those close to her, she was once again denied entry to Venezuela.

The Venezuelan authorities accuse Machado of calling for military action against the country. Her latest entry attempt came while Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez was in New York, where she met President Donald Trump.

Although the US authorities deny this, observers assume that the US does not want Machado to return. Trump has repeatedly expressed his satisfaction with Rodríguez's work. Rodríguez was Maduro's deputy until his capture.

Maduro was captured in January during a US military operation in Venezuela's capital Caracas and brought to the USA. He is in custody in New York, where he is to be tried for “drug terrorism”. After Maduro's controversial re-election in July 2024, the authorities in Venezuela took tough action against the opposition.

"Elections in 2027"

Meanwhile, hundreds of people in Venezuela have called for Machado's return. Machado's Vente party called for the nationwide protests on Sunday.

In the central state of Miranda, Machado's supporters marched through the town of Los Teques with the Venezuelan flag. Several signs read the demand: “Elections in 2027.” People in San Cristóbal in the west of the country took to the streets with similar slogans. In the port city of Maracaibo, opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa urged opposition unity: "We must continue until we have achieved the free and democratic country we strive for."