Protests in several Venezuelan cities brought supporters of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado into the streets on Saturday, demanding that she be allowed to return from exile and urging authorities to schedule presidential elections.
Machado, a prominent critic of the government, has been living abroad and her planned returns to Venezuela have been blocked or derailed on multiple occasions, her supporters say. The rallies were organized to press for an end to those obstacles and to make clear that Machado’s potential candidacy should be part of any credible electoral process.
Demonstrators held signs and chanted slogans calling for a clear timetable for national elections and for the restoration of political rights for exiled opposition figures. Organizers described the mobilizations as a test of popular appetite for a return to contested presidential voting and a rejection of what they describe as political exclusion.
The protests underscore continuing tensions in Venezuela’s politics, where exile, disqualification and restricted political space have been recurring issues for opposition figures. Supporters said they hoped sustained public pressure would force authorities to permit Machado’s return and pave the way for an open, competitive presidential contest.