Rubio Says Venezuela Cleared Machado’s Return as Opposition Leader Comes Home
WHO:
CBS News - Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela’s interim authorities had told the United States that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado could return to Venezuela without interference.
CBS News - The interim government is led by Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s former deputy. Rodríguez’s brother, Jorge, leads Venezuela’s National Assembly.
CBS News - Machado is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and has suggested she could run for president.
CBS News - Rubio named former Maduro associate Alex Saab among people wanted by U.S. authorities.
NBC News World - Maria Corina Machado returned to Venezuela and was greeted by massive crowds; NBC News reporter Gabe Gutierrez reported on her return.
WHAT:
CBS News - Rubio said the interim authorities were expected to cooperate with the transition and warned, “if that's the interim authorities that try to do harm to this process or stop complying, then we're gonna have a problem.”
CBS News - After Maduro’s ouster, Rubio said he could not answer why he urged Cubans to work with the CIA rather than pursue peaceful political change; he described Cuba as “a totally different case from Venezuela” and said it needed “very dramatic change.”
CBS News - Rubio said the interim authorities told the United States Machado could fly into the airport and return “unperturbed, having no problems”; the United States communicated this to her team.
CBS News - Rubio said U.S.-backed changes to Venezuela’s judicial and electoral institutions are needed before credible presidential elections can be held.
CBS News - Rubio said the interim government had met every agreed timeline for replacing the Supreme Court and electoral council. No election date had been announced.
CBS News - Rubio said U.S. national security demands included reducing Iranian and Cuban influence, pursuing criminal organizations, and extraditing people wanted by U.S. authorities.
CBS News - Rubio said the United States could use sanctions relief and licenses for economic activity as incentives for cooperation.
CBS News - Asked whether Rodríguez and Jorge had been offered incentives such as immunity, Rubio said there was “definitely no talk about prosecutions or anything of this nature” but did not directly address whether immunity was offered.
CBS News - Machado has criticized parts of the Trump administration’s economic deals with the interim government, including an oil deal announced by President Trump. Rubio defended the deal as a way to attract private investment and said Machado did not have to agree with or like it.
WHERE:
CBS News - Machado returned to Venezuela; Rubio said the interim authorities indicated she could fly into the country’s airport.
CBS News - Machado had traveled to Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.
WHEN:
CBS News - Machado left Venezuela in late 2025 after spending nearly a year in hiding.
CBS News - Maduro was captured by U.S. military forces roughly one month after Machado left; Rodríguez then remained in control.
CBS News - Rubio said the interim authorities had told the United States “weeks and weeks” earlier that Machado could return.
CBS News - Rubio said he discouraged Machado from returning immediately after a devastating earthquake while relief operations were prioritized.
WHY:
CBS News - Rubio cited Cuba’s alliance with Venezuela when discussing why the Trump administration was pressing Cuba for political and economic changes.
CBS News - Rubio said humanitarian relief was the reason he had discouraged Machado’s return after the earthquake: the United States was focused on getting as many planes carrying aid into Venezuela as possible.
CBS News - Rubio warned that failure to negotiate a transition could lead to a return to authoritarian rule or armed conflict.
HOW:
CBS News - Rubio said the United States had significant influence over negotiations and their results, including through sanctions relief and economic licenses.
CBS News - Rubio said Venezuela needed to change its electoral infrastructure quickly under agreed timelines, “not in 10 years, not in five years, not in two years.”
(UPDATED October 27, 2026 03:07 UTC)
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has returned to the country and was greeted by massive crowds, after interim authorities told the United States she could come back without interference. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government led by Delcy Rodríguez had met agreed timelines to replace the Supreme Court and electoral council, but credible presidential elections require further changes, and no election date has been announced. Rubio said Washington could use sanctions relief and economic licenses to encourage cooperation, and warned that obstructing the transition could bring consequences or lead Venezuela back toward authoritarian rule or armed conflict.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 01:29 UTC)
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela, where she was greeted by massive crowds, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the interim authorities had assured the United States she could come back without interference. Rubio said Venezuela must quickly reform its courts and election system before credible presidential elections can be held, while warning that failed negotiations could lead to renewed authoritarian rule or armed conflict. He said Washington could use sanctions relief and economic licenses to encourage cooperation, and defended President Trump’s oil deal as a way to attract private investment.