South America28 September, 20262 min read
María Corina Machado Says She Will Meet Delcy Rodríguez To Return To Venezuela
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
María Corina Machado ready to return to Venezuela peacefully. She is willing to meet with current leaders, including Delcy Rodríguez.
Machado seeks a meeting
María Corina Machado said she was determined to return to Venezuela to stand by her people and work with those ready to rebuild the nation, after American senator Rick Scott said on Tuesday that she was willing to sit down with those who currently hold power, including Delcy Rodríguez. Rick Scott framed his outreach as a step forward after speaking with the Venezuelan democratic leader, and the El Mundo account tied the move to Machado’s repeated failed attempts to return to Venezuela.
Claudia Macero, one of Machado’s closest collaborators, landed in Caracas on Sunday night and joined part of the exile on the ground in Venezuelan territory, with Macero saying she hoped an eighth attempt to enter would be definitive. Jorge Rodríguez, Delcy’s older brother and head of the chavismo 3.0 delegation in talks with the group of opposition leaders chosen by Washington, set presidential elections for 2030 in the El Mundo account, shifting what had until recently been discussed as the end of 2027.
Protests and blocked mobilizations
A military contingent blocked the bridge over Lake Maracaibo on Monday in the Venezuelan oil capital to prevent a workers’ protest from closing the road, as protests also spread in Guayana in front of the state-run basic industries. In Caracas, demonstrators protested for the release of political prisoners after news emerged of a death in the women’s prison run by the National Institute for Women’s Guidance (INOF), while the El País account described a return to the streets after the silence produced by post-election repression.
Marco Ponce, who directs the Observatory of Social Conflict, said, "We are seeing a significant reactivation of demonstrations," and he tied the surge to people reclaiming the streets to peacefully demand rights despite the repression system remaining in place. The Havana Times account said workers, trade unionists, and relatives of political prisoners demonstrated in downtown Caracas on Monday in Plaza Venezuela, and it reported that the Bolivarian National Police blocked their advance.
Demands for elections and return
The Trade Union Coalition in Caracas demanded wage improvements, the establishment of an electoral timetable, the release of those detained for political reasons, and the return of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, with the protest gathering in Plaza Venezuela. Carlos Salazar said the coalition’s demands include decent wages and pensions, which have been frozen for years and largely replaced by bonuses, and he announced another demonstration for next week with the goal of reaching Miraflores Palace.
“Salazar announced another demonstration for next week, with the goal of reaching Miraflores Palace.”
El País reported that the call on Monday in Caracas included dozens marching along Avenida Libertador, and it said the demands also included an electoral timetable, the release of those detained for political reasons, and the return of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. DW reported that supporters of Maria Corina Machado held a rally on Sunday demanding her safe return and for fair presidential elections, and it quoted Vente Venezuela leader Anthony Romero saying, "We hope this transition process leads us to presidential elections and consolidates a free, democratic country that will be the main ally of the United States,".