Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, continues coordinating her return from exile with U.S. officials amid the post-Maduro political transition. After leaving Venezuela in late 2025 to accept the prize and living in hiding following the disputed 2024 elections, she has repeatedly signaled plans to re-enter soon, citing security logistics and the need to prepare for new elections. Recent May 2026 interviews emphasized that her homecoming could occur much sooner than the end of the year, while April statements stressed urgency to avoid civil unrest. Key factors influencing trader views include ongoing diplomatic arrangements, domestic calls for electoral authority reforms, and the absence of any confirmed re-entry date despite earlier March expectations of a return within weeks.