Marco Rubio says US told Venezuelan officials ‘weeks and weeks ago’ that María Corina Machado should be allowed to return

The core issue was whether Venezuela’s opposition leader could return home without being blocked or threatened. Rubio said the United States clearly expected Venezuelan authorities to let Machado return because she is Venezuelan and belongs in the country. This mattered amid concerns that she could be arrested or prevented from entering.

Rubio said U.S. officials spoke with the interim authorities and asked that Machado be allowed to return “unperturbed.” Venezuelan officials told them she could fly into the airport. The United States then passed that message to Machado’s team, according to Rubio.

Rubio said Washington discouraged her return only immediately after the June 24 double earthquake. At that moment, he said, humanitarian and emergency aid had to take priority. Machado eventually returned after trying several times, while the Venezuelan government later described her homecoming as a political “show.”

María Corina Machado is identified in the article as Venezuela’s opposition leader. Her return mattered because earlier predictions suggested she might be arrested if she came home. That made her journey a direct test of whether the authorities would permit a prominent opponent to move publicly and organize supporters.

When Machado slowly traveled toward Caracas on Sunday, streets and highways filled with cheering crowds. The capital was brought to a standstill. No law enforcement agency intervened to stop the demonstrations, producing an opposition display of force not seen at least since the 2024 campaign.

Her return also opened a possible political path. Machado’s spokespeople said she was ready to meet with Delcy Rodríguez and seek agreements. The government said there was no political persecution, but Rodríguez also criticized the event as politics conducted as a “show.”

Machado’s repeated attempts showed that returning to Venezuela was not a simple journey. The article says she tried to go home at least seven times since early September, using different routes. The difficulties became politically important because critics claimed the United States had hindered her return, while Rubio blamed third countries instead.

Her eventual homecoming looked very different from those earlier attempts. On Sunday, she slowly made her way toward Caracas as supporters filled streets and highways with cheers. The capital was brought to a standstill by the demonstration surrounding her return.

The authorities did not send law enforcement agencies to stop the crowds. That contradicted earlier predictions that Machado might be arrested. The event displayed opposition strength on a scale not seen at least since the 2024 campaign, although Delcy Rodríguez dismissed it as a “show.”

Chavismo is the political movement and governing tradition linked to Hugo Chávez, Venezuela’s former president. It emphasizes a state-led political project and has shaped Venezuela’s institutions, leadership, and political debate. This background helps explain why disputes between government authorities and opposition leaders carry national significance.

In the article, Chavismo appears through the authorities around interim president Delcy Rodríguez. Government figures tried to minimize Machado’s homecoming by calling it a “show.” Rodríguez also said politics should not be treated as spectacle because government decisions affect citizens’ lives.

The opposition, meanwhile, used Machado’s return to demonstrate public support. Crowds filled Caracas, and no law enforcement agency stopped them. The article also reports that Machado’s spokespeople are now open to meeting Rodríguez. That suggests Venezuela’s political contest may involve both public pressure and negotiations, though the government still rejects claims of political persecution.

The homecoming changed the visible balance of political power by showing that Machado could return publicly and attract major support. Streets and highways filled with people, and Caracas was brought to a standstill. No law enforcement agency intervened, creating an unusually public opposition display.

The key mechanism was mass mobilization. Machado’s supporters turned her journey into a demonstration that the article compares with the opposition’s strength during at least the 2024 campaign. This contradicted predictions that she would be arrested and gave her side a powerful public image.

The effect on formal politics remains uncertain. Delcy Rodríguez called the event a “show” and said there was no political persecution. At the same time, Machado’s spokespeople said she was ready to meet Rodríguez and seek deals. Her public support could add pressure in those talks, while the government retains authority over official decisions.

The United States’ temporary concern was humanitarian, not a general rejection of Machado’s return. Rubio said the White House believed the immediate priority after the double earthquake had to be getting humanitarian and emergency assistance to people in Venezuela.

The timing mattered. According to Rubio, Washington discouraged Machado from returning during the days after June 24, when authorities and aid providers were dealing with the earthquake crisis. He said this was the only occasion when he believed her return would not be a good idea.

Rubio said the United States later told Venezuelan officials that Machado should be allowed home. He said officials assured Washington that she could fly into the airport safely, and that message was passed to her team. Machado ultimately returned after several attempts, while Rubio said third countries caused the other difficulties.

Economic sanctions are penalties that restrict a government’s access to money, trade, financial services, or specific goods. Countries use them to pressure leaders without direct military action. An opposition leader might support sanctions to weaken a government’s resources or force political change, even when the measures also create costs inside the country.

The article says Delcy Rodríguez accused Machado of asking for sanctions against Venezuela. Earlier this year, Rodríguez said Machado would have to answer to the justice system over those claims. The article does not give details about which sanctions Machado allegedly requested or what legal case exists.

Politically, the government could present sanctions advocacy as an attack on Venezuela and use it to challenge Machado’s legitimacy. That could explain why officials linked the issue to the justice system. However, the article does not establish whether Machado committed an offense, and it reports that Chavismo now seems to expect some form of repentance.