The Venezuelan opposition leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, María Corina Machado, assured that her return to Venezuela remains a firm commitment, despite the obstacles that, as she has denounced, have prevented her return to the country after the devastating earthquakes that shook the northern region at the end of June.

His statements come at a time when reports are also emerging about differences with President Donald Trump's administration regarding the advisability of his return during the humanitarian emergency.

Although the government of President Donald Trump considered her for years its most crucial ally against Chavismo, intelligence reports and diplomatic sources confirm an evident rupture, leaving the politician stranded in exile while Washington prioritizes the stability of Caracas after the worst natural catastrophe in Venezuela's recent history.

"I am going to return. Not as an event, but as a promise that is fulfilled step by step," Machado wrote in a message posted on the social network

The leader, who left Venezuela at the end of 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, stated that millions of Venezuelans want to accompany the communities hit by the earthquakes and asked that solidarity prevail as recovery tasks advance.

Machado also expressed concern about the end of rescue operations and maintained that the victims should not be forgotten once international attention on the emergency diminishes.

Reports point to differences between Washington and the Venezuelan opposition

Machado's announcement occurs after various international media reported that his attempt to return to Venezuela had been stopped by both Venezuelan authorities and US officials.

The tension behind the scenes reached its critical point when a private jet transporting Machado to Curacao, from where he planned to enter Venezuela by sea, was forced to abort the mission by direct orders from Washington while flying over North Carolina, as revealed by The Wall Street Journal.

The State Department, led by Marco Rubio, has had to juggle to contain the leader's aspirations, since Donald Trump's administration would have recommended postponing the opposition leader's trip considering that her presence could generate a political crisis that would make rescue and reconstruction efforts after the earthquakes difficult.

In accordance with that version, the State Department concluded that incorporating a highly sensitive political element in the midst of the emergency would be counterproductive to humanitarian efforts.

Machado also previously denounced that the Government headed by Delcy Rodríguez closed Venezuelan airspace to prevent his arrival. This version has not been officially confirmed by Caracas. Analysts consulted by different media maintain that Washington's policy towards Venezuela has evolved in recent months, prioritizing the stability and reconstruction of the country over an immediate political transition.

Although the United States continues to support a democratic solution for Venezuela, specialists consider that the situation created by the natural disaster temporarily modified diplomatic priorities.

International support and call to maintain hope

While uncertainty over his return continues, Machado received a show of support during a mass held in Panama. The Archbishop of Panama, José Domingo Ulloa, asked Venezuelans to maintain hope despite the humanitarian and political crisis facing the country, in addition to dedicating a prayer for the strength of the opposition leader.

During the homily, the religious highlighted the resilience of the Venezuelan people and called on the international community to maintain solidarity with the thousands of people affected by the earthquakes. Likewise, he announced that the collections made in Panamanian churches will be channeled through Cáritas to support affected families.

Machado, who has remained outside Venezuela since the end of last year, insisted that he will continue to support his compatriots from wherever he is while he seeks to complete his return. Meanwhile, the debate about the most appropriate political moment for his return remains open both within the Venezuelan opposition and among its main international allies, in the midst of one of the most serious humanitarian crises that the country has faced in recent years.