In short
- Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that the country will hold elections, without giving a date.
- Rodríguez said Venezuela has begun a political dialogue with sectors of the opposition under ‘equal conditions for all’.
- It was the first address to the UN plenary by a Venezuelan head of state since Nicolás Maduro spoke in 2018.
- The double earthquake of 24 June in Venezuela left more than 6,500 dead, according to Rodríguez.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the goal is ‘free and fair elections’ but that an economic collapse must first be avoided.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that her country will hold elections, without setting a date, and thanked US President Donald Trump for his willingness to restore diplomatic relations. It was the first address to the plenary by a Venezuelan head of state since 2018.
What did Delcy Rodríguez say about elections in Venezuela?
Rodríguez said Venezuela had begun a political dialogue with sectors of the opposition under “equal conditions for all”, and that “the Venezuelan people, with their ancestral wisdom, will determine the right moment” for the vote. Before the announcement, she said: “Democracy is not measured by the existence of elections. Democracy is measured by the quality of the competition that precedes those elections.”
She described an “orderly, institutional and verifiable” transition to democracy, citing reform of the justice system and what she called the responsible exercise of politics. Rodríguez said Venezuela had endured two trials this year: the “strangulation of its internal political life and the sharpened confrontation with the United States”, and the double earthquake of 24 June, which left more than 6,500 dead. “Venezuela is being reborn,” she said, in a speech lasting under twenty minutes.
Where is Nicolás Maduro?
Rodríguez did not mention Nicolás Maduro at any point in her address. Maduro remains in US custody alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, awaiting trial on drug trafficking and related charges, which he rejects; a Maduro ally, Alex Saab, has pleaded guilty in a US money laundering case. Rodríguez took office in an acting capacity on 5 January, two days after Maduro’s capture in a US military operation in Caracas, and faces questions over her legitimacy because she was not elected. Before the UN address, videos circulated in which she declined to say whether she would visit Maduro at the Brooklyn detention centre where he is held.
What did the United States say?
According to Axios, citing White House sources, Trump pressed Rodríguez during their Tuesday meeting to call elections: “In the end, you’re going to have to call elections,” he reportedly said. Neither participant confirmed that account. Rodríguez had met Trump in New York the previous day in talks she described as historic. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the goal differently on Wednesday, saying the objective is “free and fair elections” but that an economic collapse must first be avoided. “If there is a social collapse or an economic crisis in Venezuela, not only are the elections in jeopardy, but also the survival of democracy in the country,” Rubio said.
What oil agreement did Rodríguez praise?
Rodríguez praised the agreement granting the United States access to more than 65 billion barrels of proven reserves, a share the US government puts at around a quarter of Venezuela’s total. Trump referred to the deal from the same podium a day earlier with the phrase “to the victor belong the spoils”. US corporate interest in the sector includes a 100-year concession to 17 Venezuelan oilfields won by a US-led firm.
What is happening with the opposition?
The circle around opposition leader María Corina Machado said this week that three attempts to return to the country from Panama had been thwarted, bringing the total to seven in recent weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Did Venezuela announce an election date at the UN?
No. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez told the UN General Assembly that elections will be held in Venezuela but did not specify when, saying the Venezuelan people would determine the right moment.
Who is Venezuela’s acting president?
Delcy Rodríguez took office in an acting capacity on 5 January, two days after Nicolás Maduro’s capture in a US military operation in Caracas. She was not elected.
What did Marco Rubio say about elections in Venezuela?
The US Secretary of State said the ultimate goal is ‘free and fair elections’, but that an economic or social collapse in Venezuela must first be avoided because it would put both the elections and the country’s democracy at risk.
How many barrels of oil does the US agreement with Venezuela cover?
The agreement grants the United States access to more than 65 billion barrels of proven reserves, a share the US government puts at around a quarter of Venezuela’s total.
With reporting from en.mercopress.com.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
