Opposition leader and Nobel laureate Machado says Venezuela blocked her flight home after deadly earthquakes

The earthquakes

On June 24, a twin earthquake struck Venezuela, causing massive destruction. The death toll remains disputed: Europa Press reports more than 1,700 fatalities, while other sources cite over 1,400. The temblors, which occurred on the feast of San Juan, left thousands displaced and strained the country's already fragile infrastructure. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. operation in January and now awaits trial in New York on narcoterrorism charges, faces mounting criticism over the government's slow response and alleged obstruction of international aid.

A blocked return

María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who fled the country clandestinely in December and later won the Nobel Peace Prize, was in Panama when the earthquakes hit. She immediately began planning her return. Her first attempt, via the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao (the route she used for her earlier escape), was scrapped after U.S. officials warned they would not provide protection. Undeterred, she then traveled to Panama City to take a commercial flight, but the Venezuelan government abruptly closed its airspace, cancelling all flights.

“The regime has gone to the extreme of closing Venezuela's commercial airspace to prevent my entry.”

Washington's calculus

The Trump administration, which engineered Maduro's ousting with the goal of extracting favorable oil terms, has grown comfortable with the Rodríguez government, which has progressively handed economic sovereignty to U.S. companies. According to Bloomberg, White House officials were split over Machado's request for assistance. Some argued her presence could galvanize a national emergency response, while others, as detailed by The New York Times, viewed any such move as a "political maneuver" designed to inflate her profile at a time when Washington wanted to preserve stability and its energy deals.

“Traveling to the devastated areas just after the earthquakes would serve no purpose other than propaganda and inflating her political figure.”

A Nobel laureate's defiance

Machado, who does not hold a valid Venezuelan passport and has been politically disqualified by the regime, insists on her right to return. She accused the government of prioritizing political control over humanitarian needs. "They want to bury the truth when Venezuelans want to bury their dead with dignity," she said. She also pointed to other obstacles placed by the government, including blocking independent rescue teams and restricting journalists. She vowed to continue trying.

“This is not about me. We are millions who want to be together, a grieving country that needs to be consoled together.”