Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado held a closed-door meeting Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss a roadmap toward a democratic transition in the South American country.

The State Department did not immediately comment on the meeting, which appeared on Rubio’s official schedule but was conducted behind closed doors. However, sources familiar with the discussion told the Miami Herald that the encounter was cordial and focused on restoring democratic institutions in Venezuela, including eventual elections, institutional reforms and the creation of conditions to attract foreign investment.

Machado described the meeting as “excellent” in a social media post, thanking Rubio for his “commitment to democracy, freedom and the well-being of the Venezuelan people,” while expressing optimism about the country’s future.

Sources close to the meeting said both sides acknowledged that while elections remain the agreed path toward democratic normalization, no firm timeline has been set due to shifting global dynamics, including tensions in the Middle East and their impact on energy markets.

The talks come at a pivotal moment. On Monday, the United States formally resumed operations at its embassy in Caracas, marking the restoration of diplomatic relations with Venezuela for the first time since 2019.

That rapprochement follows the Jan. 3 capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in Caracas, an event that reshaped the political landscape and accelerated cooperation between Washington and the interim government led by Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez.

Despite her prominence as the country’s most visible opposition figure, Machado has not been recognized by the Trump administration as Venezuela’s leader. Instead, Washington has backed Rodríguez as head of state, a decision that has forced a recalibration within the opposition.

Still, Machado has remained a central political actor. In recent months, she has met with both President Donald Trump and Rubio during visits to Washington, positioning herself as a key interlocutor for opposition forces.

The meeting also touched on Machado’s possible return to Venezuela, a move her party, Vente Venezuela, has said could occur “in the coming days,” though no specific date has been announced.

Machado left Venezuela in December after spending months in hiding to avoid arrest by authorities who accused her of promoting violence and foreign intervention.

In parallel with political discussions, U.S. and Venezuelan officials have also been working to reestablish full diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Analysts say the renewed diplomatic channel and ongoing high-level contacts reflect a broader effort to stabilize Venezuela while opening the door to economic recovery. Central to that effort is the creation of a legal framework capable of attracting U.S. and Western investment into the country’s oil sector and broader economy.

For now, officials on both sides are signaling patience.

“There is a shared understanding that this is a process,” said one person familiar with the talks. “The objective is clear — democratic restoration — but the timing will depend on conditions on the ground and beyond Venezuela’s borders.”

Machado, for her part, struck an optimistic tone.

“The day when we reunite our families in Venezuela is getting closer,” she wrote. “We are moving forward.”

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