Name: Exclusive: María Corina Machado on Why She's Returning to Venezuela Now
Uploaded: 2026-09-18T22:58:00Z
Duration: 11 min 1 s
Description: The opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate tells the Journal she can’t wait any longer, laying out her plans to push for a democratic transition in Venezuela despite some U.S. resistance.

https://www.barrons.com/client

Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia and Global President and CEO of Asia Society, breaks down China's hidden economic struggles and status of its military. This interview was filmed on Sept. 24, 2026 at Journal House during the United Nations General Assembly.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20261001/f48f85fa-373e-4649-88ce-b4904a8e0007/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Is China Experiencing ‘Premature Hubris?’

Former Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd calls out Sam Altman and criticizes a "cavalier culture" in Silicon Valley after an OpenAI agent hacked an Australian government website. This interview was filmed on Sept. 24, 2026 at Journal House during the United Nations General Assembly.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20261001/0e2dcd9d-a816-4b80-94ab-9013522e49ff/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Kevin Rudd: Altman Must ‘Lift His Game’ after OpenAI Data Breach

Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia and Global President and CEO of Asia Society, spoke with Barron's editor at large Andy Serwer at Journal House during the United Nations General Assembly. This interview was filmed on September 24, 2026.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260925/8fbbf5c1-07f0-41ea-9bb3-c53375d85b6b/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Kevin Rudd on China, AI and U.S. Relations

When the market dips, David Booth, founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors, doesn't panic. Here's why.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260918/a944ff0a-c2c4-44fa-b9b6-bc9c0dd32672/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

David Booth on Why You Shouldn't Panic Sell

If active managers aren't beating the market, what's their purpose? David Booth, founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors, weighs in.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260918/1881735b-4b65-4ace-88a8-a18f3d836007/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

David Booth on Active Managers vs. Indexing

David Booth, founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors and the author of the book "Stay Calm: Learn to Embrace Uncertainty in Investing and Life," spoke to Barron's editor at large Andy Serwer. This interview was filmed on August 24, 2026.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260917/c959ddba-57f7-4a69-b429-e22566446dbf/2/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

'Stay Calm' Author Discusses the Science of Investing

University of Miami's Joe Echevarria discusses student athlete pay and league realignment.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260909/7451e662-2fec-4737-97ae-d054d826302a/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

University of Miami President and CEO on the Future of College Sports

University of Miami's President and CEO, Joe Echevarria, former CEO of Deloitte, talks to Barron's Andy Serwer about engaging the business community.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260909/b7cbf171-f63c-4217-ad97-c5ccbca4618b/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Ex-Deloitte CEO on Connecting College to the Corporate World

At Barron's

"Your 9-5...is just not going to do it," Nick Magguilli, personal finance expert, said on Barron's Streetwise podcast.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251216/e6897805-d131-4cc4-9c59-ca03b0c0b958/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

How to Scale Your Net Worth

TJ Thornton, Head of Global Research Product Marketing at BofA Securities, talks to Jack Hough about his favorite stocks outside of AI.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251210/f9c1a95c-5a0e-4349-9fe4-73b3ac53bfb8/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

BofA’s Favorite Non-AI Stocks

Jack Hough talks to TJ Thornton, Head of Global Research Product Marketing at BofA Securities about diversifying stocks to hedge AI risks.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251210/8e164ff7-1500-4c2f-8713-e891c640a0f4/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Evaluating Investing Opportunities Beyond AI

Steve Quirk, chief brokerage officer at Robinhood, breaks down the value of tokenizing stocks in different markets.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251126/f86d65ea-bd8b-4777-b6b0-80f7bb12027e/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Unpacking Tokenization for Everyday Investors

Jack Hough talks to Steve Quirk, chief brokerage officer at Robinhood, about trends in retail investing.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251126/a9cbdcc6-f060-4fc9-a15e-396924e25946/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

How Robinhood Reshaped the Trading Landscape for an Entire Generation

Streetwise host Jack Hough sat down with strategist Scott Wren to discuss how the AI-fueled market run stacks up against the dot-com boom.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251111/bd2e1a5b-1a6e-4543-8133-dcc63f69b5dc/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

AI vs. The Dot Com Bubble

Bank of America’s Haim Israel shares what’s next for Nuclear Energy development.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20250930/ab4fc336-af44-4af2-8e40-9ae6f04a445e/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

The Outlook For Nuclear

Jack talks to Lyft CEO David Risher about growth potential in the company.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20250929/ae62b70e-912b-4ce7-ae63-1b2652628bae/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Lyft's Ride to Profit

The stock market is expensive. What does that mean for your portfolio? Jack sits down with Franklin Templeton’s Matt Quinlan to talk dividend investing, and whether it’s a good move in a pricey market.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20250911/9c85e132-d710-4458-9467-aa69d4f25ae0/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Dividends and Capital Appreciation

Barron's Streetwise

Spuds Powell, managing director at Kayne Anderson Rudnick, says the best way to raise children and grandchildren is to “model great behavior and lead by example.”

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260914/382ebb7d-921e-4e2b-9b83-b50e5dfeccba/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Talk Is Cheap. Legacy Requires Modeling Values.

Interviews with top wealth management professionals about topics including compensation, hiring, marketing, next-gen, and more.

“You don’t want to tell people what they want to hear,” says Spuds Powell, managing director of Kayne Anderson Rudnick. “You want to tell people what they need to hear.”

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260914/44f98bce-77aa-414b-9c62-bbd1b84e72be/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Building Trust With Clients During Rocky Markets

Spuds Powell, managing director at Kayne Anderson Rudnick, tells Greg Bartalos, Editor-in-Chief of Barron’s Wealth & Asset Management Group, that “Constructive criticism, delivered in any tone, can be a gift when you’re willing to hear it.”

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260914/0a01be81-f9c1-4c1a-971f-5de729900f96/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

How ‘Difficult Clients’ Can Help Advisors Grow

Fun moments can strengthen relationships as much as serious ones, says Spuds Powell, managing director at Kayne Anderson Rudnick, who shares a prank that a client played on him.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260914/16ad0cff-752b-4062-b2ab-1b3012874ccc/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Lighthearted Moments Can Build Client Relationships

Treating clients' children as clients provides valuable training for next-gen advisors while deepening multigenerational family relationships, says Peter Lee, a founding partner at Summit Trail Advisors.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260825/1023000b-f1d0-4e9e-823a-1856057b7731/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Summit Trail Advisors’ Approach to Multigenerational Planning

Peter Lee, a founding partner at Summit Trail Advisors, says that having team members share ownership and revenue responsibilities ensures that clients are treated as firm assets rather than individual accounts.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260818/8335feeb-7857-426a-b3fb-056ff5866e28/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

‘One Team, One Dream’

Peter Lee, a founding partner at Summit Trail Advisors, and Jon Nickow, a principal, explain why career advancement is a gradual, multi-year process.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260811/18281a11-abd5-486c-b82a-1671c66b3476/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Developing Homegrown Talent Requires Patience

Peter Lee, a founding partner at the firm, and Jon Nickow, a principal, discuss the RIA’s approach to developing internal talent with Greg Bartalos, editor-in-chief of Barron’s Wealth & Asset Management Group.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260804/a04e8685-9b37-45c1-90d4-fc8938ca9dff/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Summit Trail Advisors’ Strategy for Growing Talent From Within

“We want to win the talent game, and you do that by being very clear on career paths, talking to people about what's working for them, what's not, and what are they interested in?,” says Mike LaMena, the CEO of Wealthspire.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260727/a5e5c3ad-2b2b-4daf-bce3-604be5504022/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

The Importance of Career Paths and Loving What You Do

Barron's Advisor The Way Forward

A “willingness to roll up your sleeves and understand the issues that your clients are facing, not just from an investment perspective,” is common among the industry’s most successful, says Kelly Gaur, a Mercer Advisors regional vice president.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260319/318adb2f-a888-4f30-b182-c791e27f98ab/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Best Advice for Someone Considering Wealth Management as a Career

Kelly Gaur, a Mercer Advisors regional vice president, says she was drawn to working for a registered investment advisor partly because they generally offer a more personalized, modern approach to wealth management.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260318/5575e9ca-0b48-4fb9-8e43-82aae1b3e3fc/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

The Appeal of Working for an RIA

“The best client development professionals are those who have served clients in some capacity,” says Kelly Gaur, a Mercer Advisors regional vice president.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260318/c1638929-6b21-4573-9deb-4f78e1ffa1d7/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Client-Facing Experience Can Help Advance Your Career

The Mercer Advisors regional vice president discusses her business development role and tips for breaking into the industry and gaining valuable experience in a non-advisory capacity.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260318/f2c2c9a5-cb67-4167-a48b-7fe4a9285615/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Kelly Gaur: Tips for Pursuing Non-Advisor Roles in Wealth Management

“You want to make sure that everybody's excited and prepared and that you're all pulling the rope in the same direction,” says Nate Fisher, managing director and wealth advisor at Carson Wealth.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260305/20285ef5-c115-435f-9291-e4f2d5b166a9/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

A Successful Transition Requires Honesty and a ‘Heavy Lift’

Young advisors considering a succession plan should maximize engagement with clients because “it can take a long time to gain that trust and build those relationships,” says Nate Fisher, managing director and wealth advisor at Carson Wealth.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260305/236fdaa2-5acb-48e9-b16d-e20b58846487/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Succession Planning and Establishing Trust With Clients

The Carson Wealth managing director and wealth advisor says his decision to partner with the firm was driven by the need for increased capacity for holistic services and a clear succession plan for his retiring father.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260305/33bb1217-c8be-4358-ba17-6238cbab6fa1/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Nate Fisher: Lessons Learned From a Successful Partnership

As trust grows, advisors tend to spend less time discussing investments and more time on clients’ families and well-being, says Nate Fisher, managing director and wealth advisor at Carson Wealth.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260305/d2d3903a-994f-4ae7-82be-706929930b3d/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Trusted Advisors Focus Less on Investments, More on Clients' Lives 

Serving tech founders is a full-time, long-term effort that often requires significant upfront work before a successful, revenue-generating relationship is established, says Katie Partridge, a Morgan Stanley private wealth advisor.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260219/abc63bad-4c7a-474b-b4a8-b4feae461375/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Landing Founders as Clients Requires Patience and Hard Work

Barron's Advisor Next Generation

Government policy shapes retirement regardless of savings or lifespan. With Social Security's trust fund facing a 2033 shortfall, what fixes are coming? Our experts discuss policy shifts and how to budget your benefits.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260410/aea80278-298b-458e-8bcd-f378796d6328/2/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

What's Next for Social Security?

Stocks swoop and soar as investors weigh AI hype against rate-cut "tea leaves." Our panelists explain how to drown out the noise, chart your own winning path,and identify investments that offer true long-term rewards.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260410/586aecf7-117b-4f3e-86f0-6869d907e671/2/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Riding the Market Roller Coaster

The capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and Middle East tensions are reshaping oil supply expectations. The U.S. is intervening in energy markets in decades-unseen ways. Experts break down what’s next for oil, gas and energy stocks.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260212/9779ec13-602a-4a38-bb73-495ff464a24f/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Oil and Gas in a Volatile World

For the first time in decades, U.S. power demand is rising - driven by AI data centers, EVs and electrification. Utility and clean-energy stocks are climbing, but costly buildouts threaten affordability. We explore what’s next for the power trade.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260212/81a81fdd-47b4-44f6-93d1-7597a7fab032/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

The Gold Rush in Electricity

Will Nvidia and other technology companies keep powering the stock market in 2026? We'll speak with two veteran money managers about their views on tech and their favorite stocks for the coming year.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251212/5683d7a0-ed1f-4e3c-b913-bb3367ea3abd/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Finding Bargains in a Pricey Market

Explore what could go right for investors, and what could go wrong, in a year that will see the AI trade evolve, the Fed's leadership change, and global competition for resources increase in this 2026 Outlook.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251212/573f5954-c4ab-43e9-804d-f1ea93fbb70c/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Meeting the Challenge

Stocks are expensive, risks abound, and AI is about to change the world. Other than that, building a calamity-proof retirement portfolio should be a cinch. Tune in as two veteran money managers size up the markets and share their investment ideas.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20250211/17a5e7d6-7c36-44b0-a35e-bf5ac3a24194/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Saving for a Sunny Day

Research shows that people greatly underestimate the healthcare costs they’ll face in retirement. Learn from experts how to estimate those costs, prepare for potential long-term care needs, and manage healthcare expenses in retirement.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20250211/e7c022d9-badf-4e95-8e7c-0b6fce9f7823/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Are You Fiscally Fit?

Surging power demand, new energy sources, and growing competition have spurred the utility industry to become more innovative than ever before. Our panelists will unpack the changes afoot and explore what lies ahead for companies, customers, and investors.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20240917/001ea098-1fcc-4da5-9f0e-a3b149bbb2fb/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Not Your Father's Utility

Barron's Roundtable

Whether you're leading a transition, building a scalable team, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, this episode will give you practical insights to lead smarter and grow stronger.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251010/fd26d60b-d1e6-409b-b51b-101da4aaa368/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Next-Gen Leadership Meets Smart Innovation

Electric vehicles sales are growing but not at the pace some expected. Some would-be buyers worry about the range of EV charging, and others are swayed by politics. But innovators from Detroit to Silicon Valley still envision a dramatic shift in how we get around. What’s going on and what’s next?

https://m.wsj.net/video/20240603/5784fa60-791c-47ad-9740-42e4553de5c4/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Forces Shaping EV Adoption and the Future of Driving

Success in improving the power grid to accommodate the electricity demands of the future will be a boon for companies doing the work and utilities that succeed. Explore the investing risks and opportunities.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20240522/2b825c69-2687-4d88-923b-0c8f523a2f67/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

How to Invest in Initiatives to Bolster the Power Grid

Joanna Rotenberg, Fidelity's president of personal investing, discusses ways to make investing more accessible and how to bolster your own financial security.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20231025/8ad733df-ac90-41fd-9655-7761b3e0532c/2/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Mind the Gap: Demystifying Investing

Reshma Kapadia sits down with Cozy Wittman of College Inside Track to discuss how to tackle all things college, from what admission officers are seeking today, to navigating the different ways to funding higher education and evaluating the ROIs.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20230515/b7229011-05cc-42ec-9c16-1d7752ec668d/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Decoding the College Search and Financing Puzzle

Nicole Webb, financial advisor and SVP at Wealth Enhancement Group, shares ways to navigate the real estate market this spring whether you are a first-time buyer, a retiree downsizing or someone who is relocating or looking for a second home.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20230424/93eb00e1-caf0-4e83-9fc7-b502a57dc546/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Pro Tips on Buying and Selling a Home

Reggie Fils-Aimé, former president and COO of Nintendo of America, joins Barron's deputy editor Alex Eule to discuss his unlikely rise to the top, and the risks he took once there to beat the odds and achieve success.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20220630/61e2296d-ab1a-4216-ae65-24676447c616/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

How Nintendo's Former President Disrupted the Gaming Industry

2050 Wealth Planners co-CEO Lazetta Rainey Braxton, Sequoia Financial Planners vice president Elizabeth Scheiderer, and MoneyZen founder Manisha Thakor offer tips on how to prepare for recession, inflation, caregiving needs.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20220617/a71025ce-518b-49b9-b098-21417863f8ce/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Financial Advice for the Inflation-Weary

Families and advisors have a lot to navigate when it comes to generational wealth transfer. Add sustainable investing to the list. Examine strategies to help close the generational divide. From the Dow Jones Energy & Sustainability event series.

https://m.wsj.net/video/20230210/85cbf3f9-b5ab-4bfa-93c6-f8e8a247d386/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Sustainable Investing and the Wealth Transfer

Barron's Events

Level Up

Barron's Explains

Back to Business

Great Investors

MarketWatch

Video Center - Barron's home

The opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate tells the Journal she can’t wait any longer, laying out her plans to push for a democratic transition in Venezuela despite some U.S. resistance. Photo: Johanna Alarcón for WSJ

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260918/1da63eeb-678c-45b4-917d-d79fa7bef557/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

The opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate tells the Journal she can’t wait any longer, laying out her plans to push for a democratic transition in Venezuela despite some U.S. resistance.

Exclusive: María Corina Machado on Why She's Returning to Venezuela Now

It's time to return. I cannot lead a process from abroad if our people are suffering.

Maria Corina Machado says she's finally returning home to Venezuela. In December, the opposition leader made a daring escape to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, but she's been unable to go home since. Here in Panama City for months now, she's been plotting her return.

There's so much we need to do to prepare.

But after ousting strong men Nicolas Maduro in January, the Trump administration has kept his vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, in power, even blocking Machado from returning after the earthquakes in late June.

Seeing what's happening right now, there is true urgency. Delcy Rodríguez is chaos.

But the Trump administration has now signed a major oil deal with Rodriguez's government. A strong incentive to keep her in power.

There are those that say it was the greatest deal ever made. Let's see what happens.

In an exclusive interview before the deal was announced, she told us about her plans to return and to face the authoritarian regime and organize her opposition movement in order to press for free elections. Since you left Venezuela last year, you've said you want to go back as soon as possible. And of course, a lot has changed in the country. You'll be returning to a very different Venezuela than the one you left. Can you tell us why it's important to return right now?

Well, as you say, Venezuela has changed a lot in these last months. After January 3rd, an opportunity opened and we've seen very important steps being taken. Political prisoners being liberated, people daring to gather in the streets to demand their rights. On the other hand, the situation in the economic side is very dire. People are starving. Over 85% of a population leading poverty. And after the earthquake, the terrible catastrophe, the situation has accelerated and the demand for urgent civic change is increasing by the hour. And I believe my presence will be an element of stability, of a force that will help order and channel this energy in a civic way towards an electoral process.

Can you tell us a little more about what you're hoping to achieve physically inside the country that you couldn't do organizing from the outside?

That's a very important question because this is not about me. This is about 30 million Venezuelans that are suffering and demanding the possibility to move ahead into transition to democracy and freedom, to have our children come back home, to rebuild institutions to turn Venezuela into the greatest ally of the United States for the long term. We were able to build this legend of volunteers to have a huge landslide victory against Nicolas Maduro on, in 2024. Now we have to turn all this organization into a citizen movement that will give support and legitimacy to the process of transition to democracy. This is going to happen in thousands, tens of thousands of public debate and assemblies all around the country at the same time.

Walk us through how you picture your first few days, your first week after your return. Obviously, what do you look forward to, but also, you know, what do you think the biggest challenge is going to be?

Well, as you can imagine, I think every single night, I bring money. How could it be the moment? How the people have not seen friends that were in prison, recently liberated, that are waiting for me. And the chance to move around our country and, you know, increasing hope. I see myself probably all around the country to the tiny communities sitting down listening to mothers, to workers, to farmers, to businessmen, to drivers, to students, to teachers, to doctors, nurses, everybody hearing their ideas and strengthening the plans that we have because we have been working for years. We know what need to be done to have the best education system in the region, to rebuild an independent judiciary or help system or pension system. We have great, great Venezuelans inside the country and abroad that we've been working for many years and we are very eager to see that turn into our reality.

Walking around with Machado in this square, we encountered several people who recognized her, asked her for selfies. And one even told her that he really hoped to see her soon in Miraflores Palace, the president's residence in Caracas. But not everyone is backing her decision to return so soon. Trump has embraced acting President Delcy Rodriguez, even signing a historic deal with her to help develop up to 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil.

We're getting along great with the government. Delcy, as you know, is doing a very, very good job, very highly respected.

Machado has criticized the deal without attacking Trump, instead accusing Rodriguez of a lack of transparency.

But some inside the White House worried that if Machado returns too soon, she could threaten this arrangement by triggering unrest or derailing negotiations between the government and other members of the opposition. Machado told me the opposite is true.

It's important to understand Delcy Rodriguez is chaos. That's what they represent. That's how they sustained themselves. They have brought poverty, terror, and they have forced a third of Venezuelan population to flee. So there's those that destroy the country will never be able to build a strong republic.

You said that you have faith in Secretary Marco Rubio's three-phase plans, stabilization first, then economic recovery, then a democratic transition.

What's stopping you from asking Venezuela to set a firm date for an election?

Oh, I just don't think they're ready yet.

What do you say to people who fear that if you return too early, you could derail this process or you could endanger that democratic transition?

Yes, I understand there are people that fear that, but I think they do not know the reality of the Venezuelan people. It's actually the country. And my return is not a challenge, it's a contribution to the process. There's no one that's most interest than us that this process is successful and moves steadily ahead. People aren't demanding results, and the way through which you can contend all these tensions is setting a date in which people know that the political change will come. Look, I believe Secretary Rubio and certainly President Trump understand that at the timetable that has been put in place to be respected by the regime and that things in Venezuela are accelerating.

So does the Trump administration support your return right now? Have you been coordinating with them?

Well, I have good relations. We've been in contact. I will never get into specifics of private conversations, but they certainly understand that the reasons why I believe I'm very, very useful for this process back in Venezuela.

Machado spent more than a year hiding from Madura's regime before she escaped Venezuela. Now, most of the same people are still in charge and have accused her of violating the law.

Machado says she's aware that it's a risk to her and her family if she goes back, but she told me she can't stay away any longer. You've been gone from Venezuela for a long time now, over eight months. Did you ever imagine that you would be gone this long?

Oh, no, certainly not. Certainly not. And when I escaped, I knew I had goals to achieve. I had been forbidden to leave my country for over 12 years, so there was a lot of people I need to meet and to be dreadful in the name of Venezuela for their support for our cause and to engage for what's coming. At the same time, I wanted to see, hear, and share with our diaspora that has been forced to flee and are scattered all around the world.

I think one of the bright spots of being able to leave the country or be outside as long has been to see your children. You hadn't been able to see them for two years while you were hiding inside of Venezuela.

That first instant when I saw my children, it's been one of the most extraordinary spiritual moments of my life.

How does your family feel about you returning now?

You know what? I thought they were going to be scared, even perhaps ask me to reconsider, but it's quite the opposite. I think this is for the first time all my family understand and absolutely support this decision. You know why? Because I also want to go back. As all of us, all of my sons, we need to go back. I mean, we've suffered too long and that's the legacy of this moment. That's why this moment is unique in history. And I would say it's one of the most important events of this century for the Americas.