Venezuelan opposition leader says the US has proposed 2027 elections after she hailed Trump on her return from exile

María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela from exile this week and told reporters that the Trump administration has proposed holding presidential elections in 2027, raising cautious hope of a democratic transition after the president's disputed re-election claim last year. Machado praised Trump's pressure on Caracas but was careful to stress she is not simply Washington's proxy, insisting Venezuela's fate must be decided by Venezuelans.

Machado said she is 'hopeful' a 2027 vote can take place, though the president has given no public commitment.

She thanked Trump for sanctions pressure on the regime while publicly marking distance from full alignment with US policy.

Her return from exile is her first appearance inside Venezuela in months, underlining the personal risks she continues to run.