The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, promised on Wednesday that her country will hold elections, but conditioned the polls on Venezuela "being ready," without providing any specific timeline.
The statements were made at the Palacio de Miraflores in Caracas during a press conference alongside the United States Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, who visited the Venezuelan capital for the signing of new oil agreements with Chevron and Eni.
Rodríguez's words: a promise without a deadline
“I have worked tirelessly to ensure that Venezuela is ready and prepared for when it is time to go to its electoral process, which will happen, do not doubt that, there will be an electoral process, but under the conditions that Venezuela is prepared for.”, Rodríguez stated before reporters.
When pressed about the schedule, the leader was equally evasive:
"In Venezuela, there is a Constitution and an electoral and democratic system established in the Constitution. The second point is that I do not set a date."
Rodríguez also criticized those he referred to as "extremists": “The path where extremism sees no benefits in these tremendous energy agreements; the path where intolerance has prevailed in relationships; the path where hate prevents seeing the other.”
Regarding the sanctions, he added: "We continue to work with the authorities to definitively lift the sanctions system so that the Venezuelan economy and the social development of Venezuela can proceed without any difficulties."
The Echo of Trump: Almost the Same Words
One of the most striking elements of Rodríguez's speech is the similarity to what Donald Trump had said hours earlier from the Oval Office.
"I don't think they are ready yet. It's very recent. We brought 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.
Both use a similar argument to postpone the elections: conditioning them on the country being ready, without setting a specific date for now.
Trump and Rodríguez agree in stating that Venezuela is still not prepared to hold elections, while the process of stabilization and economic recovery progresses.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that same day the plan in three phases: stabilization, economic recovery, and political transition.
Rubio also addressed the difficulties of holding elections immediately: "If there are elections in Venezuela tomorrow, they will use the existing machinery. Of course, that machinery won't provide a system. There are many things that need to be cleaned up."
The debate on constitutional deadlines
The absence of a specific date raises questions about the constitutional framework of the current political process in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Constitution distinguishes between temporary and absolute absences of the president and establishes different procedures and time frames depending on the circumstances in which they occur.
In particular, Article 233 provides for the holding of elections within 30 consecutive days when the absolute absence of the president occurs before taking office or during the first four years of the constitutional term.
The situation following Nicolás Maduro's capture in January 2026 raises a debate regarding which constitutional provisions apply to Rodríguez's current interim mandate and what timetable should govern a future electoral call.
The oil agreement that serves as the backdrop also generates controversy.
Trump called it "historic" last week. The agreement involves the exploitation of 17 fields that contain nearly one-fifth of Venezuela's oil reserves.
Chevron announced an investment of over $7 billion over the next five years to expand its operations.
Critical sectors question the progress of the oil sector recovery as Venezuela still lacks a defined schedule for holding presidential elections.
Machado demands a specific schedule
This Thursday, the opposition leader María Corina Machado —Nobel Peace Prize winner 2025 and currently in Panama— responded with a more concrete position.
"The citizens are currently asking that alongside the economic reforms, we are able to strengthen our institutions and, above all, that we can have an electoral calendar in which we can come together as a nation and elect a new president; and nothing will stop us until we achieve this," stated Machado in a video from Panama, as reported by EFE.
Machado was clear in her diagnosis: the "transition to democracy has not yet occurred."
The dialogue between the Venezuelan government and a sector of the opposition, facilitated by Washington, began in August 2026 and is scheduled for a new round in October.
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