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Prominent Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Mara Corina Machado has returned to her home country after spending nearly a year in exile, CBS News reported.
Confirming her arrival back on Venezuelan soil, Machado posted a brief and emotional message on social media platform X, stating: "I am here. With you." Her return follows intensive diplomatic engagement aimed at easing political gridlock in the country. Asked by reporters about her return, US President Donald Trump praised Machado and wished for her safety, while noting that Washington's engagement in the region is progressing positively. "I don't know anything about it, but I think she's a very nice woman. 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. But we're doing really well in Venezuela," Trump said. Reacting to the development, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on X that the environment enabling her safe return was made possible through Washington-backed reconciliation talks that have also facilitated the release of political detainees. "The conditions allowing for the safe return of Ms. Machado to Venezuela is the direct result of the U.S. supported reconciliation talks which has already seen hundreds of political prisoners freed and hundreds of political opposition figures return from exile," Rubio stated. Emphasising the broader democratic objectives of the ongoing diplomatic framework, Rubio urged all political factions in Venezuela to adhere to peaceful democratic principles. "The United States expects the freedoms of all sectors of Venezuelan politics to continue to be respected. Likewise, we expect all political actors to support these talks which represent the best chance Venezuela has had in thirty years to peacefully achieve not just a free and fair election but an enduring democracy," Rubio added. CBS News reported that the Venezuelan government under Maduro had prohibited Machado from leaving the country and considers her a fugitive, accusing her of advocating foreign military intervention in Venezuela. According to CBS News, Machado made several unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela, including in the aftermath of the devastating twin earthquakes on June 24. (ANI)
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