María Corina Machado turned Madrid's Puerta del Sol into a Venezuelan square on Saturday, standing before thousands of supporters, many waving yellow, blue and red flags, and declaring that the country's exiles would not remain abroad forever. "Today the return home begins," she told the crowd, casting the rally not simply as a tribute ceremony but as a public challenge to those she says want the world to believe Venezuela is not ready for democracy.
The event, staged in the symbolic heart of Madrid, mixed ceremony, exile politics, and campaign-style energy. Machado received Madrid's Gold Medal from regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, while supporters packed the plaza and shouted "Libertad." The text of the event coverage provided by the user describes a sunny afternoon, thousands of Venezuelans in the square, and music that included Carlos Baute as Machado took the stage and later appeared from the Real Casa de Correos balcony.
