US Yanked Support for Exiled Venezuelan Leader’s Return Home: Wall Street Journal

(Alex Brandon/Ariana Cubillos/AP photos)

Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was on a flight to return home when the plane was abruptly forced to return after Washington allegedly withdrew its support, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has been in exile since December, was apparently warned through “intermediaries” that if she pushed forth with her bid to go home to the earthquake-devastated country, she could derail President Donald Trump‘s strategy for Venezuela, according to the outlet.

That would add more delays to the country’s elections, sources told the paper.

Machado made the $35,000 trip last week believing she had the president’s support, according to the WSJ.

A day after Machado’s plane was forced to turn around, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio allegedly tried to dissuade her, citing earthquake relief efforts, the paper reported.

Rubio’s caution didn’t stop Machado, who tried again on Sunday before the effort was scuttled when Copa Airlines declined to let her aboard one of their flights, The WSJ reported, noting the airline didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Before she fled the country, Machado, 58, was the most significant political challenger to former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by the U.S. in a daring January military operation.

In 2024, she was barred from running in the country’s presidential election.

In May, she gave a speech in Panama City pledging to run for office in her homeland.

“I will be a candidate, but there may be others, of course,” Machado told reporters. “I would love to compete with everyone, with anyone who wants to be a candidate.”

The Trump administration has thrown its support to acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president.

Nearly 2,600 people have been killed after a pair of twin earthquakes ravaged areas of northern Venezuela.

The earthquakes made her return more urgent, Machado argued on Fox & Friends earlier this week.

“The time has come,” she said.

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