U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, that Venezuela's interim government assured the United States "weeks and weeks" ago that opposition leader María Corina Machado would be permitted to return to the country without interference. Machado returned to Caracas on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, marking her first appearance in the country since fleeing nearly a year ago.
Machado had been in hiding for much of 2025 before departing in December 2025 to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. Following her departure, U.S. military forces captured Nicolás Maduro in January 2026 and brought him to the U.S. to face drug-trafficking charges. Maduro's former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, assumed control of the interim government and has remained in power beyond the authorized timeframe for a transition, with no new election date yet established.
Secretary Rubio told reporters that the U.S. communicated its expectation to interim authorities that Machado, as a Venezuelan citizen, should be allowed to return "unperturbed." According to Rubio, the Rodríguez government responded that Machado was free to fly into the airport. Rubio noted he had previously discouraged her return only in June 2026, following earthquakes, to ensure humanitarian relief flights had logistical priority.
The U.S. is pushing for a political transition that involves reforming Venezuela's Supreme Court and electoral council. Rubio stated that the interim government has met agreed-upon timelines for these institutional changes, which he described as necessary before holding credible elections. Last week, Venezuelan authorities and opposition figures agreed on a blueprint for electoral reforms intended to facilitate a vote at some point in 2027.
The U.S. involvement includes the capture and extradition of senior figures like Maduro and his associate Alex Saab, alongside the use of U.S. leverage to set reform deadlines. A failure to reach a negotiated transition could lead to armed conflict or a return to an authoritarian system, according to Rubio. Residents would notice these impacts through changes in political rights, such as access to a free press and online media platforms, which Rubio identified as essential for an "election architecture."
The next steps in the transition include the overhaul of the judicial and electoral infrastructure throughout 2026 and 2027. While no specific date for a presidential election has been set, the U.S. expects the process to culminate in a vote in 2027. In the interim, Rubio indicated the U.S. will continue to monitor compliance with national security demands, including the reduction of Iranian and Cuban influence in the region. The Trump administration has also called for political changes in Cuba, though Rubio stated that situation is a separate case from the Venezuelan transition.