Washington DC - The US will not block Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado's return to the country, a US diplomat confirmed on Wednesday, cautioning that the right conditions must be in place.

"The policy in the State Department is clear: We're not going to obstruct Maria Corina to return," Deputy Assistant Secretary for South America Luis Mendez told Congress during a hearing on Wednesday.

Machado left Venezuela last December to receive her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway and, despite Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's abduction by US forces in January, has not returned since.

"Now, I do think that there's some work we need to do in the context of Venezuela, so that way, when she returns, she doesn't get arrested," Mendez said.

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Since the devastating double earthquakes on June 24, Machado has tried to return to Caracas on multiple occasions, but was blocked due to diplomatic pressure from Venezuela.

When asked whether President Donald Trump's administration has sought to convince interim president Delcy Rodriguez to allow Machado to return, Mendez said: "Yes, we made it very clear to the interim authorities."

Rodriguez has been in power since the US overthrow of Maduro in January. She was Maduro's Vice President and is part of the same political party and movement as the former authoritarian leader.

She announced on Tuesday that her government has a plan to meet with opposition party members starting next month.