Machado Pushes for New Elections After Returning to Venezuela
Sandego.net – María Corina Machado pushes for new elections in Venezuela after returning from exile, calling for a presidential vote in 2027 and describing her return as part of a broader democratic transition. In her first news conference since coming back to the country, the opposition leader said Venezuelans are demanding freedom and institutional change.
Machado returned on Sunday to crowds of supporters. She said the message she heard from those who welcomed her home was consistent and direct.
“I heard only one word, the same one: freedom,” Machado said.
She said her return was intended to help Venezuelans complete what she called an unfinished national task.
“I have returned to finish a task and to fulfill a mandate,” Machado said.
Why Machado is calling for a 2027 vote
Machado pushes for new elections as Venezuela’s political institutions face a proposed overhaul following the removal and capture of former leader Nicolás Maduro by the United States in January. Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, said US support has helped create an opening for political change.
She credited Secretary of State Marco Rubio with describing a sequence that could lead to a presidential election in 2027. However, neither Washington nor Venezuela’s acting government has announced a specific date for a vote.
Rubio said Venezuela’s voting system must first be reformed before an election could be considered legitimate. A senior State Department official said a new Supreme Tribunal of Justice is expected before the end of the year, followed by a replacement National Electoral Council, known as the CNE.
Under that process, Venezuela’s acting leader would need to declare a permanent presidential vacancy. That step would begin a six-month countdown to an election, with the CNE setting the final date.
“This addresses a national urgency with a sense of responsibility,” Machado said. “It has also made clear … that the democratic transition is irreversible.”
Transition talks and political reforms
After Maduro’s ouster, US officials began engaging with acting President Delcy Rodríguez on reforms and a transition plan. Rodríguez has accepted demands that include releasing hundreds of political prisoners, allowing some Venezuelans in exile to return and taking measures intended to encourage investment by US companies.
The United States has also facilitated reconciliation discussions involving the acting government and opposition representatives, including Dinorah Figuera. Machado said she is not participating in those negotiations, though she hopes they will produce results.
Machado remains one of Venezuela’s best-known opposition figures but has not received a formal role in the US-backed process involving Rodríguez’s administration. Earlier this year, she gave US President Donald Trump her Nobel Prize, an apparent effort to seek stronger support for her political ambitions.
Machado said Maduro’s removal had changed Venezuela’s prospects for democratic change.
“Thanks to the actions of the United States government, Maduro is facing justice, and the floodgates of freedom have been opened,” she said.
Rodríguez says elections will be held
Shortly before Machado’s news conference, Rodríguez addressed Venezuela in a recorded message. Without directly mentioning Machado’s return, she urged critics to judge her administration by its results rather than political disagreements.
“To those who think differently from me, I do not ask you to change your opinion. I ask you to judge by the facts. Less fighting, more solutions,” Rodríguez said.
Rodríguez said elections would be held in accordance with Venezuela’s Constitution, while warning against a return to political confrontation. Machado pushes for new elections within that uncertain transition, arguing that institutional changes must lead to a credible national vote.
“The election should not be a problem or make us go back to times of confrontation that no one wants anymore,” Rodríguez said.
FAQ: Venezuela’s proposed election process
When could Venezuela hold a new presidential election?
No official date has been announced. The proposed process would involve judicial and electoral reforms, a declaration of a permanent presidential vacancy and then a six-month period before a vote is held.
What changes are expected before an election?
US officials have said Venezuela is expected to install a new Supreme Tribunal of Justice and replace the National Electoral Council, which would be responsible for setting an election date.
Is Machado part of the transition negotiations?
Machado has said she is not participating in reconciliation discussions involving the acting government and opposition representatives, although she has expressed hope that the talks will succeed.
