Caracas — Venezuela’s opposition leader, 2025 was prevented from returning to the South American country from her exile in Panama, a source from her political party told AFP on Tuesday. Machado is considered a fugitive by the Venezuelan government, which accuses her of calling for military intervention against the country.
She has been unable to return to Venezuela since being covertly sneaked out of the country in December
“During the last 24 hours, María Corina Machado has been denied entry into Venezuela three times,” the politician’s senior adviser David Smolansky said in a statement shared with CBS News’ Margaret Brennan and other journalists early Wednesday morning. “She has attempted to enter the country by air and sea but has been turned away each time.”
The opposition leader has made several failed attempts to return to her home country, including during the aftermath of the devastating June 24
The latest instances come as General Assembly.
Venezuela suffered a wave of repression after former President widely disputed claim to have won re-election in July 2024. The crackdown on opposition has eased since the US on the capital Caracas in January.
Colombian broadcaster NTN24 and Spanish newspaper ABC reported that Machado’s latest attempt to return to Venezuela was thwarted by a combination of air travel restrictions, last-minute cancellations and mechanical failures.