Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado returns to country

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado is back in her home country after nearly a year in exile, her team confirmed to CBS News on Sunday."I am here. With you," Machado posted in Spanish on X.She did not disclose more details about her current location or how she returned.Machado's senior adviser David Smoalnsky said in a statement to CBS that her return is "a major step toward a democratic transition and free, fair, and verifiable presidential elections in the near future.""Machado returns to stand with Venezuelans in their pursuit of freedom, democracy, and justice, and to help advance a peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable transition leading to free, fair, and verifiable presidential elections, with guarantees for all," he said, thanking President Trump, the U.S. government and others for "their continued leadership and support." Supporters of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gather to demand that a date be set for presidential elections in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos Machado covertly snuck out of the South American country in December with a private U.S. rescue team to accept the 2025 Nobel Peace P...