Rubio: Venezuela Cleared Machado's Return Weeks Before Capture

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Monday that Venezuela's interim government explicitly told the United States that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado could return to her homeland without interference. Rubio explained that U.S. officials communicated to the interim authorities that Machado, as a Venezuelan citizen, deserved to re-enter the country without hindrance. The Venezuelan side confirmed she could fly into the airport at her discretion, and Washington passed that message along to her team.

The disclosure emerged one day after Machado departed for Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. This move supports the Trump administration's push for a political transition in Venezuela that relies on cooperation from senior figures of the former Maduro government. The U.S. is currently working with Delcy Rodriguez, who took control after U.S. military forces captured Nicolas Maduro approximately one month ago. While the administration collaborates with Rodriguez on oil extraction, it maintains that Venezuela must eventually move toward a democratically elected government. Machado has indicated she may run for president herself.

Rubio emphasized that the interim government is sticking to agreed-upon deadlines for replacing the Supreme Court and the electoral council. These institutions were previously used by Maduro to control political competition. "We have timelines that are agreed to. And so far, they've met every one of the timelines," Rubio said. He argued that changing the election infrastructure cannot take five or ten years and must happen quickly under established schedules. No specific election date has been announced yet, but Rubio dismissed the idea that authorities could delay the process indefinitely.

The Secretary cited compliance with U.S. national security demands as a key factor in the transition. These demands include diminishing Iranian and Cuban influence, pursuing criminal organizations, and extraditing individuals wanted by American authorities. The administration also uses sanctions relief and economic licenses as incentives for cooperation. "The United States has significant influence over the direction that these talks go and the results that we get from them," Rubio noted. When asked if Rodriguez and her brother, National Assembly leader Jorge Rodriguez, received immunity offers, Rubio said there was "definitely no talk about prosecutions or anything of this nature," though he did not directly confirm or deny an immunity deal.

Rubio noted that he only discouraged Machado's return once, immediately following a specific event when the priority was getting humanitarian relief planes into the country. He defended the U.S. oil deals with the interim government, which Machado has criticized, by saying she did not have to agree with them. "She doesn't have to agree with it or like it," he said. Rubio warned that if the interim authorities fail to cooperate, the process could face problems, but he expressed strong confidence they would continue to work with the U.S.

The administration is also watching Cuba closely, with Trump suggesting the island might need "very dramatic change." Rubio recently encouraged Cubans in social media posts to work with the CIA if they want positive change. When asked why he promoted that approach over peaceful political change, Rubio replied, "I can't answer that." He maintained that Cuba is a totally different case from Venezuela and remains a priority for U.S. engagement.