Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Vows to Return Home to Aid Quake Victims

(CNA Caracas, June 30, 2024, Reuters) Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said today that she is "willing to do whatever it takes" to return to Venezuela to assist in the recovery efforts following the twin earthquakes that struck the country last week.

Reuters reported that Machado, currently in Panama, accused the Venezuelan government of obstructing her return and posted a video on social platform X stating that she would go back to Venezuela to help coordinate and encourage the public.

However, she did not provide further details about her return plans.

Machado had been in hiding within Venezuela after announcing her victory in the 2024 presidential election. In December last year, she secretly left Venezuela by boat to travel to Oslo, the capital of Norway, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

In January, after U.S. forces apprehended then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Machado presented her Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Some opposition figures had hoped that the 58-year-old Machado would assume a key leadership role in Venezuela. However, Trump instead supported Maduro's former deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, stating that Machado lacked sufficient support to lead the country at this time.

Before the earthquakes, Machado had said she expected to return to Venezuela by the end of the year.

However, Machado's eagerness to return to Venezuela has caused friction in Washington, and she has been asked to postpone her return.

A White House official told Reuters on the 27th that Machado had contacted several U.S. government officials, including the White House, the State Department, and members of Congress, seeking support for her potential return.

The State Department told Reuters in a brief statement this evening that the Department "is focused on continuing to advance our response to the major earthquake in Venezuela." The statement did not mention Machado's reported request for Washington to facilitate her return. (Compiled by Yang Zhaoyan) 1150630

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