Venezuelan authorities have prevented opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from entering the country, according to sources close to her political team. Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, has been attempting to return to Venezuela from her exile in Panama. Her senior adviser David Smolansky confirmed that she was denied entry three times within the past twenty-four hours.
Smolansky said Machado attempted to enter Venezuela by both air and sea and was turned away each time. Machado has been unable to return since she was covertly taken out of Venezuela in December 2025 by a private U.S. rescue team so she could travel to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
The latest attempt to re-enter Venezuela came during a period of national crisis following devastating earthquakes in June, according to CBS News. Machado has been living in Panama and met members of Vente Panama in Panama City in May. The organization is made up of Venezuelans living abroad who support her Vente Venezuela political movement.
The country saw a wave of repression after former President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the disputed July 2024 presidential election. That crackdown has eased since U.S. forces seized Maduro during a raid in Caracas in January 2026.
Reports from Colombian broadcaster NTN24 and Spanish newspaper ABC suggest her most recent return attempt failed due to air travel restrictions, last-minute cancellations, and mechanical issues. Despite the repeated denials, Machado has said she will not interfere in ongoing transition talks between the interim government and parts of the opposition. Machado was not invited to the U.S.-backed talks involving the interim government and selected opposition groups.
The situation comes during a major political transition in Venezuela following Maduro’s removal. Delcy Rodríguez, who served as Maduro’s vice president, is now Venezuela’s interim president. Rodríguez met President Donald Trump this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Machado’s efforts to re-enter the country come amid continued international scrutiny over the state of democracy in Venezuela. She has long been a vocal critic of Maduro’s government and a central figure in the opposition movement. Her Nobel Peace Prize recognition has drawn global attention to her role in the country’s political landscape.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and supporting what the committee described as a peaceful democratic transition.
The denial of entry highlights the continuing dispute over Machado’s political status under Venezuela’s interim government. Venezuelan authorities consider Machado a fugitive and accuse her of calling for military intervention in the country. Her political allies dispute the government’s treatment of her.
The latest developments come as the interim government continues negotiations with selected parts of the opposition. At the same time, Rodríguez’s government is holding talks with the United States and international financial institutions over Venezuela’s economy, energy sector, debt and reconstruction following the June earthquakes.
The government has not announced that Machado will be permitted to return despite her repeated attempts to enter the country. Her most recent attempts followed several earlier unsuccessful efforts, including attempts made after the June 24 earthquakes.
The restrictions on Machado come as Venezuela continues dealing with the political aftermath of Maduro’s removal and the transition to an interim government. The political environment in Venezuela remains tense, with many uncertain about what the future holds for democratic reforms.
IMAGE: Source Asamblea de vecinos, Guarenas 13Mar14 Author Carlos Díaz from Venezuela CC2