Machado's Return Bids Fail as Rodriguez Meets Trump in New York

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado made three unsuccessful attempts to return to Venezuela in recent hours, according to her team and media reports, even as interim President Delcy Rodriguez met US President Donald Trump in New York.

The burst of activity unfolded on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where Trump held his first meeting with Rodriguez since US forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro during a raid in January.

Pedro Urruchurtu, an adviser to Machado, said on social media that the latest sea and air attempts were among seven failed efforts to return since she left Venezuela clandestinely nine months ago. A spokesperson for Machado later confirmed the remarks. Machado herself has not publicly commented on the failed attempts.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to people familiar with the matter, US officials privately urged Machado to postpone her return and opposed her efforts to re-enter the country following the June earthquakes in Venezuela.

Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been in exile since late last year, after a period in hiding following the contested 2024 election. Her return has remained a point of contention, despite her repeated vows to go back after Maduro's ouster and the two major earthquakes.

It was not immediately clear who blocked the sea and air attempts.