The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Wednesday from the Oval Office that the acting leader of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, wants elections to be held in the country, but her government is still not in a position to organize them, according to the EFE agency.
The statements came in response to a direct question from the press about why Washington does not demand that Caracas set a specific date for elections.
"I simply don't think they are ready yet. It's something very recent. We got them out of a dictatorship and we are getting along very well with the government. Delcy, as you know, is doing a very, very good job. She is very respected. We want elections and they do too. Delcy wants them, but they are still not ready," Trump said to reporters.
"They are not ready yet. But soon. We hope to be able to celebrate them soon," he reiterated.
Trump justified the delay by pointing out the magnitude of the change occurring in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January of this year.
"We have taken them out of a very powerful and ruthless dictatorship, where many people were imprisoned. Most of those people have been released. They were political prisoners," he emphasized.
The words of the U.S. president come at a time of intense diplomatic and economic activity regarding Venezuela.
Last week, Trump announced an agreement he described as “historic” under which the United States will control the exploitation of 17 Venezuelan oil fields, which account for nearly one-fifth of the country’s crude reserves.
This Wednesday, Venezuela also signed additional agreements with Chevron and Eni in the presence of the U.S. Secretary of Energy, and PDVSA established a partnership with General Electric Vernova for the recovery of electrical infrastructure.
The oil agreement has sparked criticism from sectors that believe Washington prioritizes access to crude over the country's democratization. The Trump administration responds that economic recovery is a necessary and prerequisite step to achieving genuinely free elections.
That same point was developed this Wednesday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who explained the three-phase transition plan: stabilization, economic recovery, and political transition. Rubio warned that calling for elections immediately using the institutional machinery inherited from chavismo would not guarantee a democratic process.
"If there are elections in Venezuela tomorrow, they will use the existing machinery. Of course, that machinery will not provide you with a system. There are many things that need to be cleaned up," he noted.
The chancellor outlined prerequisites for legitimate elections: opposition parties with time and resources to organize, a free press, a renewed National Electoral Council, a reliable voting system, and international observation.
She also confirmed that María Corina Machado "has every right to enter her country whenever she wishes to return" and that she does not need authorization from Washington to do so.
Trump's position this Wednesday is consistent with what he had expressed in July, when he stated that Venezuela "is still not really ready" for elections, although he acknowledged progress since the fall of Maduro's regime.
Rubio announced that in October there will be a new round of negotiations between representatives of the interim government and the National Assembly elected in 2015, which Washington recognizes as the legitimate representation.
"In the end, the time will come when Venezuela has to be governed by a democratically elected government," concluded the Secretary of State.
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