Venezuela is set to hold upcoming elections organized by a restructured electoral regulator and monitored by international observers, acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced in a televised address on Thursday. The address coincided with mounting political pressure on the interim government following the return of opposition leader María Corina Machado.
While committing to future votes, Rodríguez did not establish a specific date for the ballot and cautioned that the electoral process should not serve as a catalyst for renewed political conflict. “There will be elections, all those mandated by our constitution, organized by a renewed electoral authority and with the world as witness,” Rodríguez stated during her remarks.
The televised address preceded scheduled public remarks by Machado, who returned to Venezuela on Sunday. Machado’s homecoming has increased urgency surrounding the timeline for a national presidential vote, coming nearly 11 months after the United States removed Nicolás Maduro from power and backed Rodríguez, who previously served as his vice president.
Rodríguez’s electoral commitment follows recent U.S. proposals outlining a structured path toward a presidential vote. Under the Washington-backed plan, a new Supreme Court would take office by mid-December, followed by the establishment of a revamped National Electoral Council. A presidential vacancy would subsequently be declared, initiating a six-month window to conduct an election, according to a senior State Department official.
Alongside the political developments, Rodríguez highlighted ongoing economic changes, pointing to discussions for 44 oil agreements, 61 contracts with domestic and international investors, and significant mining deals. She announced plans to loosen state control over the economy by valuing non-essential state assets, which could potentially be offered to private investors or restored to former owners under constitutional protections for private property.
These potential measures could reverse certain state expropriations enacted during more than two decades of socialist administration, though Rodríguez did not specify which particular companies or assets are currently under review. Additionally, she stated that worker incomes will see four adjustments in 2027, with each increase matching or exceeding the economic growth rate of the preceding quarter.
Adopting a conciliatory approach, Rodríguez reported that she has directed security forces to refrain from detaining individuals without a court warrant, except in cases where a suspect is caught in the act of committing a crime. She emphasized that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and affirmed that citizens should be able to maintain differing political viewpoints without facing retaliation.
