Venezuela's María Corina Machado accuses the government of blocking her return after the earthquake
Key takeaways
- They want to block my return to Venezuela, Machado said in a video posted on social media, in which she said she was in Panama.
- This is not about me; we are thousands who want to be together in a country in mourning, she said.
- The accusations, however, coincide with the closure of Maiquet a International Airport, the country's main terminal, which serves Caracas and was severely damaged by the earthquakes.
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Venezuelan opposition leader Mar a Corina Machado on Monday accused the government of acting President Delcy Rodr guez of closing the country's airspace to prevent her return, as Venezuela copes with the emergency caused by the June 24 twin earthquake, which has left more than 1,700 dead and some 5,000 injured. They want to block my return to Venezuela, Machado said in a video posted on social media, in which she said she was in Panama.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in exile since late 2025, said she intended to travel to her country to support the quake's victims and accused the authorities of mobilizing the state apparatus to stop her, including, she said, the cancellation of commercial flights. This is not about me; we are thousands who want to be together in a country in mourning, she said. In a later statement she said the government had been forced to reverse the measure, but had threatened those who want to facilitate her return. She also denounced that the authorities were restricting the flow of information about the scale of the disaster.
The accusations, however, coincide with the closure of Maiquet a International Airport, the country's main terminal, which serves Caracas and was severely damaged by the earthquakes. The civil aviation authority issued a notice keeping the main runway closed —with cracks in the pavement and damage to the control tower and the terminal— until at least July 2. The airport is operating partially for humanitarian flights, while the terminals in Valencia and Maracaibo continue to receive some international flights. The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to the leader's accusations, according to international media that sought its comment.