Maria Corina Machado blocked from Venezuela, party says

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was prevented from returning to Venezuela from exile in Panama, a member of her political team said Tuesday.

“Yes, she tried to return but it was blocked,” the team member told AFP. The source said reports of blocked trips by Machado to Venezuela were confirmed.

Machado is considered a fugitive by the Venezuelan government, which accuses her of calling for military intervention against the country. She has been unable to return to Venezuela since leaving in December to accept her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway.

A party source said Machado had made several failed attempts to return, including after the June 24 double earthquakes.

Colombian broadcaster NTN24 and Spanish newspaper ABC reported that Machado's latest attempt was blocked by a combination of air travel restrictions, last-minute cancellations and mechanical failures.

The reported blocked return came as Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Machado was not invited to US-backed transition talks between the interim Venezuelan government and selected parts of the opposition, although she has said she would not interfere in the process.