A senior official from the State Department outlined on Monday, during a confidential telephone press conference, the detailed plan that Washington is promoting for the political transition in Venezuela: to renew the judicial and electoral institutions before calling for elections, and to pressure the interim president Delcy Rodríguez to declare the permanent vacancy of the presidency.
The roadmap has three sequential steps. The first is the renewal of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) before mid-December 2026. The second is the reform of the National Electoral Council (CNE) shortly afterward. The third, and most crucial, is for Rodríguez to formally declare the absolute absence in the presidency, which would constitutionally trigger a six-month period to call for elections, placing the elections in the second half of 2027.
The official was emphatic about why this order is important: "You cannot have a free and fair election that is accepted by both parties and all parties in a country while that infrastructure is in place. That infrastructure needs to be torn down and replaced with something new."
To explain the urgency of institutional reform, the official reviewed the failure of the negotiated process under the Biden administration in 2024: that government granted irreversible concessions—sanctions relief, the release of Cilia Flores's convicted drug-dealing nephews, and the businessman Alex Saab—but the elections were held with the same TSJ and the same CNE as always, making a legitimate outcome impossible.
The TSJ is described by Washington as the most powerful institution in Venezuela. "It has long been an instrument of the regime and of Maduro, and 2015 really amplified that. In fact, it was the TSJ that ruled the National Assembly illegal," the official noted. Regarding the CNE, he emphasized that its role goes far beyond managing elections: "It also decides which parties can register and who can run. That's how they disqualified María Corina, for example."
In the fourth round of talks held this week, the 2015 National Assembly —representing the opposition— and the PSUV through Jorge Rodríguez agreed to create a Judicial Nominations Committee consisting of 23 members, sworn in on October 22, made up of 11 deputies and 12 representatives from civil society. This committee will propose 32 magistrates for the TSJ —an increase from 20 following a legal reform approved in August— with a deadline of December 11 to present them to the National Assembly.
The official highlighted the quality of the committee members: "Almost entirely professors of law and individuals of recognized prestige, not political actors per se, so that was a very positive development."
The reform of the CNE will follow a similar process through a committee of experts, although without the need for parliamentary ratification. "Once those two things are established, the new TSJ at the end of this year, and the new CNE shortly thereafter, then Rodríguez should declare the presidency permanently vacant," the official specified.
The stated ultimate goal of Washington is clear: "To achieve elections in which, once held, the losing party acknowledges that the process was fair."
The process is unfolding during a time of high political tension. On Sunday, María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela after nearly ten months abroad, traveling about 400 kilometers in a caravan from Barquisimeto to Caracas, where she was welcomed by thousands of supporters. Rodríguez described the return as a "show." Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned: "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."
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for November 11 to 15, with the reform of the CNE as the main focus of the agenda.
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