Maria Corina Machado Plans Return to Venezuela After Devastating Earthquakes

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has announced her intention to return to Venezuela after the country was struck by two consecutive devastating earthquakes.

Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Machado stated, "The time has come" for her to go back to her homeland. She emphasized her responsibility to stand with her people, saying, "We need to be together, to embrace, to grieve and cry together."

The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, hit Venezuela on Wednesday, resulting in over 1,430 deaths and thousands of injuries. Thousands are still believed to be trapped under the rubble following these successive tremors.

Machado indicated that she plans to be in Venezuela "in the near future." However, despite her repeated announcements over recent months about an imminent return, a report from The New York Times notes that the US government views such a swift return as inappropriate.

In December, Machado left Venezuela to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. In early January, the US launched a military operation in Venezuela that led to the arrest of leader Nicolás Maduro.

Since Maduro's detention, the South American nation has been governed by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro's deputy.

The political future of Venezuela remains uncertain amid these developments.