The Venezuelan Opposition Leader Wanted To Return To The Country To Help In The Aftermath Of The Earthquakes
- 2.07.2026, 9:04
But the U.S. refused to support her.
The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is in exile, has made several attempts over the past week to return to the country to help with recovery efforts following the devastating earthquakes. However, Machado was not allowed to disembark on the Dutch island of Curaçao because she did not receive support from the White House. U.S. officials called her attempts a “political spectacle.” This was reported by The New York Times.
“I want to return to Venezuela to be with you,” Machado said in a video message from Panama.
According to sources, the White House urged Machado to be patient. After she ignored this advice, she was informed that she was acting on her own and no longer had the support of the U.S. government.
The loss of U.S. support has practical consequences for Machado. Like millions of other Venezuelan emigrants, she does not have a valid Venezuelan passport due to years of discrimination against opposition-minded citizens. Therefore, for her to return, international pressure on the Venezuelan authorities is necessary.
Last weekend, Machado attempted to travel to the island of Curaçao, from where she planned to travel to Venezuela. However, Dutch authorities denied her entry after the U.S. government failed to confirm its support for the trip.
A State Department spokesperson told the NYT that the U.S. supports Machado’s return in the future, but called her current attempts a “political spectacle.”
As a reminder, following the U.S. operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump refused to support Machado because she did not cede her Nobel Peace Prize to him, The Washington Post reported, citing two sources close to the White House.
After her opponent’s arrest, María Machado recalled in an interview with Fox News that even before these events, she had dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize to Donald Trump.
“I dedicated it to President Trump because at the time I believed he deserved it. Many people—most people—said that what he did on Saturday, January 3, was impossible. If I thought he deserved it in October, imagine what I think now. He proved to the world exactly who he is,” Machado said.
On January 16, 2026, Donald Trump received María Corina Machado in Washington. During the meeting, the Venezuelan opposition leader presented the U.S. president with the Nobel Peace Prize medal.
“It was a great honor for me to meet with María Corina Machado from Venezuela today. She is a remarkable woman who has had to go through so much. Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I’ve done. What a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, TruthSocial.
In response, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that the Nobel Prize cannot be revoked, divided, or transferred.