MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Thousands of Venezuelans in Santiago de Chile rally behind María Corina Machado

Chile hosts one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the region, and Machado’s presence came amid a politically sensitive debate over migration, security and legal status

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado drew thousands of supporters to central Santiago on Thursday in the largest public demonstration she has led since leaving Venezuela in late 2025. The gathering, held between Paseo Bulnes and Parque Almagro, exceeded initial expectations and became one of the most visible displays of the Venezuelan diaspora in Chile in recent years. According to estimates by Carabineros cited by Chilean and Spanish media, turnout ranged between 16,000 and 17,000 people.

Machado had travelled to Chile for the inauguration of President José Antonio Kast, but used the visit to call a meeting with Venezuelan migrants. In a message posted later on X, she wrote: “We overflowed Santiago de Chile, my Venezuelans!” in a day marked by Venezuelan flags, anti-Chavista slogans and calls for return.

In her speech, Machado focused on the prospect of Venezuelans reuniting with their country and on the need for a transition. “Today our clear path is to move forward so that all those who have been forced to leave their country can travel back to reunite with their families with their heads held high,” she told the crowd, according to El País. In an earlier press conference, she also said her return to Venezuela would be carried out “harmoniously” and in coordination with international allies.

¡Aquí estamos!

¡Desbordamos Santiago de Chile, mis venezolanos! pic.twitter.com/MwmAI3XVwD

— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) March 12, 2026

The gathering also carried strong symbolic weight. Machado appeared in a style similar to that of her rallies in Venezuela — white shirt, dark trousers, tied-back hair and a rosary around her neck — and was greeted with chants of “María president” and “freedom.” For many in attendance, the event became a display of cohesion by a diaspora still attentive to any sign of political change in Caracas.

Chile hosts one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the region, and Machado’s presence came amid a politically sensitive debate over migration, security and legal status. In Santiago, she combined the mass rally with institutional and political meetings, including talks with Chilean authorities and the symbolic handover of the keys to the city by Mayor Mario Desbordes. She also took part in the launch of the Sebastián Piñera chair at Universidad del Desarrollo.

The trip also reinforced her international profile at a moment of uncertain transition for Venezuela. Reporting from Santiago, AP said Machado described Donald Trump as a “fundamental ally” in the opposition strategy and again argued that the return of displaced Venezuelans depends on the consolidation of a political solution in their country. In Chile, that idea took the shape of a mass event: less a partisan ceremony than a symbolic show of strength beyond Venezuela’s borders.