María Corina Machado, the leader of the biggest opposition movement in Venezuela, returned to her country on Sunday after nearly a year in exile since slipping out to receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

A conservative former lawmaker and a longtime opponent of Venezuela’s socialist ruling party, Ms. Machado has returned to press for elections in a country reeling from the political changes that have taken place since she left and from devastating earthquakes in June.

Just weeks after she traveled to Norway in December to receive the peace prize, the United States in January invaded Venezuela, captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, and backed Delcy Rodríguez, who had been appointed his vice president after a 2024 election widely seen as rigged.

Ms. Machado had been in hiding domestically since Mr. Maduro claimed victory in that election and had to travel abroad secretly. But Mr. Maduro’s removal did not guarantee her return.

Ms. Machado praised the U.S. invasion and gave her Nobel medal to President Trump. While in exile, she pledged to go back and push for elections, including in a recent interview with The New York Times. But until Sunday, her efforts to return were repeatedly thwarted.

“I am here,” Ms. Machado wrote in a message on social media from Venezuela on Sunday. “With you all.”

Here’s what to know about Ms. Machado, the movement she leads and what her return means for Venezuela.