U.S. Confirms Venezuela Will Let Opposition Leader Return Home

The United States government confirmed on Monday that Venezuelan interim authorities have granted permission for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to return to her homeland. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the Venezuelan government communicated this decision to Washington weeks ago.

Rubio explained that U.S. officials told the interim authorities that Machado is a Venezuelan citizen who belongs in her country. The U.S. position was that she should be allowed to return without facing problems or interference. The interim government responded that she could fly into the airport if she chose to do so.

This development occurs one day after Machado traveled to Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. Her return marks a shift in U.S. policy since U.S. military forces captured President Nicolas Maduro roughly one month after she left the country. Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, currently controls the government. The Trump administration has worked with Rodriguez on oil extraction and other economic issues while pushing for a democratic transition.

Rubio emphasized that the interim government is meeting agreed-upon deadlines for replacing the Supreme Court and the electoral council. These institutions were long used by Maduro’s government to control political competition. The U.S. insists these changes must happen quickly before credible presidential elections can be held. No specific election date has been announced yet.

“We have timelines that are agreed to. And so far, they’ve met every one of the timelines,” Rubio said. He dismissed the idea that Venezuelan authorities would delay elections indefinitely. He stated that the infrastructure of the elections needs to change quickly under the established timelines.

The Secretary of State cited compliance with U.S. national security demands as a factor in the relationship. These demands include diminishing Iranian and Cuban influence, pursuing criminal organizations, and extraditing individuals wanted by American authorities. The administration also uses the power to grant or withhold sanctions relief and economic licenses as an incentive for cooperation.

Rubio said the United States has significant influence over the direction of the talks and the results. He addressed questions about whether incentives, such as immunity from prosecution, were offered to Rodriguez and her brother, Jorge, who leads the National Assembly. Rubio said there was definitely no talk about prosecutions, though he did not directly confirm whether immunity was offered.

Machado has criticized aspects of the U.S. economic deals with Venezuela, including an oil agreement. Rubio defended the deal as a way to attract private investment. He said Machado’s objections to the economic terms are separate from the question of democratic elections. “She doesn’t have to agree with it or like it,” Rubio said regarding the oil deal.

The Secretary of State warned that failure to reach a negotiated transition could lead to a return to authoritarianism or armed conflict. He expressed confidence that the interim authorities would continue cooperating. “If that’s the interim authorities that try to do harm to this process or stop complying, then we’re gonna have a problem,” Rubio said. “But I don’t expect that. I really, really don’t.”

Rubio also connected the situation in Venezuela to U.S. pressure on Cuba. He said he encouraged Cubans to work with the CIA if they wanted positive change. He described Cuba as needing very dramatic change and noted it is a different case from Venezuela. Trump has mull taking Cuba in some form and has not ruled out military action.