Caracas, Oct. 25 -- Prominent Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado has returned to her home country after spending nearly a year in exile, CBS News reported.

Confirming her arrival back on Venezuelan soil, Machado posted a brief and emotional message on social media platform X, stating: "I am here. With you."

Her return follows intensive diplomatic engagement aimed at easing political gridlock in the country.

Asked by reporters about her return, US President Donald Trump praised Machado and wished for her safety, while noting that Washington's engagement in the region is progressing positively.

"I don't know anything about it, but I think she's a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize, so how can ...