Venezuela's Machado pushes for 2027 presidential election after return
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said on Thursday that she had returned to the country to mobilise citizens and push for a democratic transition, with presidential elections in 2027 among her main priorities.
Machado received a standing ovation from dozens of students as she arrived at Andrés Bello Catholic University to deliver a lecture.
Addressing students, she described Venezuela's democratic transition as “irreversible” and expressed support for a roadmap outlined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“My presence in Venezuela shows that the three-phase plan put forward by President Trump is moving forward,” Machado said, adding that the proposed transition included presidential elections in 2027.
She called for reforms to Venezuela's judicial and electoral institutions, including the appointment of new Supreme Court judges and National Electoral Council officials.
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Although Machado confirmed she was not participating in ongoing talks between the government and other political groups, she expressed hope that the negotiations would produce meaningful reforms.
“We are not taking part in this table, and as we warned at the time, we are not only not obstructing it, but we are very interested in it succeeding,” she said. Machado also welcomed acting President Delcy Rodríguez's acknowledgement of the need for elections but questioned her ability to oversee institutional reforms.
The opposition leader, who returned to Venezuela on October 25 after nearly ten months abroad, said she would focus on building civic networks and encouraging public participation to ensure a peaceful political transition.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
