Machado back in Caracas after nearly a year away
Thousands of supporters greeted the opposition leader as she entered the capital on Sunday.
By Petra Murphy ·
Maria Corina Machado arrived in Caracas on Sunday after spending nearly a year outside of Venezuela. Thousands of people lined the highways and city streets to welcome her back. They waved national flags and chanted slogans demanding freedom.
Machado traveled to the capital in a convoy of cars and motorcycles. She wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans. As the group entered the city, she leaned out of a sunroof. She shouted that her country was giving lessons to everyone.
Earlier in the day, Machado visited Guacara. The AFP news agency reported that she sang the national anthem in a crowded plaza. Supporters around her waved flags and cheered.
Machado left Venezuela in December last year to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. She had been facing arrest under former President Nicolas Maduro. She took shelter in the Argentine embassy in Caracas before being smuggled out of the country with U.S. assistance.
The opposition leader had been unable to return for fear of detention. After the U.S. helped remove Maduro from power, Machado gave her Nobel medal to President Donald Trump. She said travel restrictions and flight cancellations kept her abroad. She attributed these obstacles to the Trump administration and the interim government of Delcy Rodriguez.
