María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has stated in recent interviews that she plans to return to Venezuela much sooner than the end of 2026, coordinating logistics and security arrangements with the U.S. government. Following Nicolás Maduro’s ouster and capture by U.S. forces in January 2026, she left the country in late 2025 to accept her prize despite a longstanding travel ban and has since emphasized preparations for elections and national reconstruction. Recent developments include her March announcement of a return “in coming weeks,” an April confirmation of coordination with Washington, and a May NPR interview highlighting ongoing security considerations. These statements, amid the transitional political environment and calls for swift electoral processes, shape trader assessments of the timing and conditions for her re-entry.