The government of Donald Trump set a specific roadmap this Monday for the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, to declare the presidency vacant and pave the way for elections in 2027, as reported by the EFE agency.
A senior official from the Department of State explained during a conference call that the plan includes two preliminary steps: the renewal of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) before the end of this year and the reform of the National Electoral Council (CNE) shortly thereafter.
"Once those two things are established—the new TSJ at the end of this year and the new CNE shortly after, and that work has already begun—then Rodríguez should declare a permanent vacancy in the presidency," the official clarified.
Under current Venezuelan legislation, that declaration of absolute lack would trigger a constitutional period of six months to call new elections, which would place the elections in the second half of 2027.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, added that Venezuela's electoral infrastructure was designed by Nicolás Maduro's government to rig elections and that it must be replaced before a valid vote can take place. "I believe we are making real progress in that regard. But if anyone tries to derail the process, they will be causing great harm to Venezuela," he warned in statements collected by Reuters.
The State Department official also emphasized the underlying objective that Washington aims for: "Our goal is to achieve elections in which, once held, the losing side acknowledges that the process was fair."
The statements come a day after the return of the opposition leader María Corina Machado to Venezuela, after nearly ten months abroad. Machado entered the country from Colombia, appeared at the sanctuary of the Divine Shepherdess in Barquisimeto, and traveled in a caravan for about 400 kilometers to Caracas, where she was welcomed by thousands of supporters.
Rubio clarified that the "only time" he advised Machado against traveling was right after the earthquake on June 24, for humanitarian logistical reasons, and he denied any involvement from Washington in the obstacles the opposition leader faced when trying to return. He attributed those difficulties to "third countries" with their own interests in Venezuela.
The head of U.S. diplomacy revealed that Washington informed the interim government "many weeks ago" that it should allow Machado's return, and that the authorities guaranteed she could enter without issues. "We told them: 'Look, our expectation is that she is Venezuelan. She belongs to her country. She should be allowed to return.' They told us she could enter through the airport if she wished," he recounted.
Delcy Rodríguez, for her part, described Machado's return as a "show" and noted that the opposition figure could have entered the country through an airport.
The deadlines being considered by Washington generally align with those proposed by Dinorah Figuera, president of the National Assembly elected in 2015 and head of the opposing delegation in formal negotiations with Chávez, who has suggested potential elections in late 2027 or early 2028. Just four days ago, Trump described a potential electoral showdown between Rodríguez and Machado as "interesting", without formally endorsing either candidate.
Machado, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, remains ineligible to hold public office for 15 years since June 2023, a restriction that is part of the negotiation agenda between the interim government and the opposition.
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