CARACAS — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado postponed her planned return to Venezuela after the United States reportedly blocked a private flight over concerns that political tensions could disrupt earthquake relief efforts, according to media reports and analysts.
Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, had planned to return from the United States following the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela’s La Guaira region in June. In a video recorded in Panama City, she accused the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez of obstructing disaster relief, an allegation also raised by some earthquake survivors and aid organizations.
Sources close to Machado alleged that Venezuela threatened an airline with a landing ban if she traveled on one of its flights. Neither Copa Airlines nor the Venezuelan government confirmed or denied the claim.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Machado also attempted to fly by private jet from the United States to Curaçao in June before traveling by boat to Venezuela. The newspaper reported, citing unnamed senior officials, that U.S. authorities ordered the aircraft to return while it was over North Carolina, citing concerns that political disputes could complicate earthquake relief efforts.
Political analyst Phil Gunson of the International Crisis Group said the U.S. government does not appear to view Machado as a transitional leader and instead prioritizes stabilizing Venezuela before pursuing democratic reforms.
Machado played a key role in supporting opposition candidate Edmundo González during Venezuela’s disputed 2024 presidential election after she was barred from running. Venezuela’s electoral authority declared Nicolás Maduro the winner, although opposition groups and international observers rejected the result.
Following Maduro’s removal from office by U.S. forces on Jan. 3, 2026, Rodríguez assumed the role of interim president.
Analysts said Machado’s continued absence from Venezuela could weaken her political standing, but warned that her immediate return could increase political tensions while the country responds to the earthquake disaster.
