Venezuelan opposition leader returns, backs 2027 elections
Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 05:26 · Archive
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has returned from exile and called for presidential elections in Venezuela in 2027.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on Thursday and publicly called for presidential elections in 2027, her first remarks since spending ten months in exile. She credited US President Donald Trump's administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio with setting out a sequence toward democratic transition, saying Rubio had 'laid out a sequence of steps for moving toward a democratic transition that includes presidential elections in 2027'.
Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election, thanked Trump for his actions on 3 January, which she said opened 'the floodgate to freedom' in Venezuela. She was referring to the US capture of former President Nicolas Maduro, who now faces US drug trafficking and torture charges, which he denies. Since Maduro's capture, interim President Delcy Rodriguez has ruled the country. Shortly before Machado's remarks, Rodriguez announced that 'there will be elections' in Venezuela without specifying a date.
Machado said her priorities included dismantling Venezuela's repressive system and securing the release of thousands of political prisoners. She denied having had contact with Rodriguez. The opposition leader also criticised a major oil deal Washington and Caracas agreed to earlier this year, under which Venezuela is expected to supply 20 per cent of its oil reserves to the United States, saying 'this agreement does not reflect the levels of transparency that Venezuelan society wants'.
How it is being reported
- Venezuela’s Machado lauds Trump for ‘freedom’, urges 2027 electionsNobel winner returns to Venezuela from exile, urging elections and criticising a controversial US oil deal with Caracas.Al Jazeera · 30 Oct, 04:40
- Venezuela’s Rodríguez vows to hold election as Machado asks whenInterim head of state Delcy Rodriguez and Maria Corina Machado are expected to vie for the presidency in a future election.The Japan Times · 30 Oct, 04:06
- Venezuela: Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says US backs 2027 electionThe return of Maria Corina Machado, who says Trump opened the "floodgate to freedom" for Venezuela, presents a challenge for Washington as Trump has also backed interim President Delcy Rodriguez.DW News · 30 Oct, 03:08
In this story: Maria Corina Machado · Donald Trump · Marco Rubio · Nicolas Maduro · Delcy Rodriguez · Venezuela · United States
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log
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