Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has pledged that the country will hold elections organised by a renewed electoral authority, while opposition leader María Corina Machado is pressing for a presidential vote in 2027. The two positions, set out in consecutive public appearances on Thursday, agree that elections should happen — but they do not agree on when, and no date has been set.
Rodríguez made her case in a rare televised address, her most specific vision yet for restoring democratic votes in Venezuela. Machado followed with her first substantive public remarks since returning to Venezuela on Sunday after nearly a year away, saying the United States has proposed presidential elections next year, a timeline she herself has previously supported.
Key Takeaways
- Interim President Delcy Rodríguez says elections will be held under a revamped electoral authority, but she has ruled out an immediate vote and set no date.
- Opposition leader María Corina Machado says the United States has proposed presidential elections in 2027, and she wants every eligible Venezuelan able to vote.
- The two sides have not agreed a timetable, and the renewal of the electoral authority comes before any vote is scheduled.
Rodríguez rules out an immediate vote
Rodríguez said all elections required by the constitution will be held, organised by a renewed electoral authority and with the world as witness. She insisted, however, that Venezuela must first undergo comprehensive institutional reforms, including legislative overhauls, participation guarantees across the political spectrum, and a complete renewal of the electoral authority.
“There will be elections, all those mandated by our constitution, organized by a renewed electoral authority and with the world as witness,” Rodríguez said in her address, shortly before Machado was due to speak. She said the reform process must produce an electoral power accepted by all, so that elections serve as a solution rather than a source of fresh conflict.
Rodríguez also said the political future of the country is not measured by a date on the calendar, and that timing must prioritise political stability over strict timelines. Her government, she said, seeks genuine conditions for fair participation for all political forces, so that elections can resolve differences rather than deepen divisions. The renewed body would also oversee voter rolls and election lists as part of that overhaul.
In the same address, Rodríguez ordered a review of state-owned non-essential assets that could be privatised or returned to their former owners, and announced new directives for domestic law enforcement on detentions, addressing long-standing complaints from human rights organisations.
Machado presses for 2027 and a vote for all
Machado, the country’s most popular opposition figure and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said she was pleased that Rodríguez had also backed elections, and she set out her own conditions for a credible vote. She said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has laid out a sequence of steps toward a democratic transition that makes clear presidential elections will be held in 2027, and she added that she would ensure all eligible Venezuelans can cast ballots in any future election.
Machado described the transition as irreversible and said it will lead to a presidential election in 2027. She also said a transitional justice process, a truth commission and a revamp of state security forces are necessary, alongside transparent contracts, open bidding for public deals and a deal with the International Monetary Fund to manage the country’s huge debt load and urgent humanitarian needs.
There will be elections, all those mandated by our constitution, organized by a renewed electoral authority and with the world as witness.
Machado thanked US President Donald Trump and Rubio for their roles in the ouster of former president Nicolás Maduro, and said the relationship between Venezuela and the United States is one of mutual respect and in both nations’ best interests. Machado was barred from running in the 2024 election, but her proxy roundly won, according to tallies shared by the opposition at the time, while Venezuela’s institutions backed Maduro.
- Rodríguez: elections under a renewed electoral authority, but no immediate vote and no date yet.
- Machado: a 2027 presidential election, with every eligible Venezuelan able to vote.
- Both leaders are expected to vie for the presidency in a future election.
- Reforms to the electoral authority, the courts and security forces come before any ballot.
Why the timetable is still undecided
The gap between the two positions is the central obstacle. Rodríguez has committed to elections in principle while insisting that institutional reform comes first, and she has not specified a timeline. Machado’s appeal for a 2027 vote does not by itself establish an officially agreed election timetable, and a credible process would still require agreement on voting procedures, institutional guarantees and the participation of competing political movements.
The backdrop is a country in transition. Maduro was captured in a US raid in January and now faces US drug trafficking and torture charges in New York, which he denies. Trump has praised Rodríguez as well as Machado, and the Trump administration supports negotiations between the Rodríguez government and opposition groups about overhauling the electoral council and top court — talks that do not include Machado’s Vente Venezuela movement. For ordinary Venezuelans, the outcome will shape daily life far beyond election day, and ensuring eligible voters can actually take part is the test both sides now face.
What to Watch Next
What happens next turns on the renewal of the electoral authority that both Rodríguez and Machado have put at the centre of their remarks. Watch for the appointment of a renewed National Electoral Council, for any move toward a concrete election date, and for whether Machado’s movement gains a seat at the negotiating table. Until those steps are taken, Venezuela has a shared promise of elections — but not yet a shared timetable for them.