Machado's Team Reports Three Failed Return Trips to Venezuela
Advisers claim sea and air attempts from Panama were blocked within 24 hours, marking the seventh failed effort in recent weeks.
Key points
- Three attempts to return to Venezuela from Panama failed within 24 hours, according to Machado's advisers.
- A flight manifest lists Machado on a plane to Curaçao that never took off on September 22.
- El País blames Washington for the blockage, while Machado blames the Venezuelan government.
The circle around Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado says three attempts to return to Venezuela from Panama failed within 24 hours. The moves involved both sea and air travel.
These incidents mark the seventh failed effort in recent weeks, according to her international relations adviser, Pedro Urruchurtu. He stated that authorities are preventing her from entering her own country.
Details on the Blocked Travel
Journalist Idania Chirinos, who is accompanying Machado in Panama, described the specific failures. A sea crossing was suspended due to cited mechanical faults on Monday.
On Tuesday, a flight to Aruba did not take off. Later that day, an attempt via Curaçao also fell through. Chirinos described Machado as a prisoner in Panama.
Flight Manifest and Passports
A flight manifest for the Curaçao attempt lists Machado on a Beechcraft BE-90F. The document shows the plane was scheduled for Tuesday, September 22.
The record indicates she would travel on a Panamanian passport. El País describes this as a special humanitarian document. It does not grant a new nationality.
Conflicting Accounts of Responsibility
Two hypotheses exist regarding who blocked the travel. El País attributes the obstruction to Washington, citing US State Department officials. However, Machado blames the Venezuelan government for closing airspace.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Machado can return whenever she wants. President Trump denied telling her not to return. The Venezuelan government has not commented.
