Nobel Prize-winning opposition leader María Corina Machado reemerged from exile in Venezuela on Sunday for the first time since late last year, when she fled due to fears about her safety.

Machado, who had been banned from running for office for 15 years despite her polling popularity in the country, made her first public appearance in Venezuela since strongman Nicolas Maduro was captured by US special forces in a daring January raid. 

“I am here. With you,” Machado simply wrote on social media. 

Video later showed her walking into a church in Caracas, and her presence in the country was confirmed by fellow opposition leader Edmundo González, who declared that the country’s “sovereign voice returns with her to lead and guide this process.”

Technically, Machado is still considered a fugitive by Venezuela’s government, having been barred from leaving the country at the time she snuck in December of last year.

While Maduro faces a trial in the US over drug trafficking charges, his former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has served as the country’s interim president and been in contact with top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

After Maduro’s capture, there had been bipartisan chatter about Machado becoming Venezuela’s new leader, but President Trump rejected that, suggesting that Machado doesn’t have the support of her people. She later handed him the Nobel Peace Prize that she was awarded. Trump publicly suggested he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize and was vexed that he has yet to receive one. 

It’s unclear how Machado got back into Venezuela.

“I don’t know anything about it, but I think she’s a very nice woman,” Trump said about the news of Machado’s return to Venezuela. “She gave me her Nobel Prize. So how can I say anything else? And I hope she’s safe. She’s a very nice woman.” 

“We’re doing really well in Venezuela.”

The Trump administration has made clear it wants elections to take place in Venezuela, but an exact timeline for that isn’t clear. 

Meanwhile, the administration has continued to work with Rodriguez on key priorities. In August, Trump announced a blockbuster deal with Rodriguez’s government on Venezuela’s oil fields. 

The last presidential election took place in 2024, but was subject to controversy and accusations of malfeasance from multiple governments, including the Biden administration. 

There had been evidence that González, who took Machado’s place in the last election, beat Maduro by a 2-to-1 margin, but the strongman was declared the winner nonetheless. 

US officials have pushed Venezuela to release political prisoners and make other reforms. 

Machado has publicly pushed for authorities to set a date for Venezuela’s next election. Earlier this month, she made waves in the US by endorsing Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) in her reelection bid.