Weekly Report - 05 March 2026 (WR-26-09)

Despite an easing of repression under Venezuela’s new president, Delcy Rodríguez, opposition leader María Corina Machado has been wary of returning to the country which she escaped in December to collect her Nobel Peace Prize and rally international support for the pro-democracy movement [WR-25-49]. On 27 February, however, Machado announced that she will return to Venezuela in a matter of weeks. This would be a huge test for the Rodríguez administration and would fire up the opposition, which has been growing in confidence in recent weeks.