Machado calls for 2027 presidential election in Venezuela amid talks
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE
Returning to Venezuela on 25 October after nearly a year away, opposition leader María Corina Machado is calling for a presidential election in 2027, while her supporters are pushing for a vote. Her return could complicate her relationship with Donald Trump’s administration, which supports talks between the interim government and other opposition groups, Reuters reports.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wants a presidential election to be held in 2027, as US-backed negotiations continue between the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez and opposition groups. Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday 25 October after nearly a year away, TimesLIVE reports.
The discussions envisage a regional election first, followed by a presidential vote. They also aim to reform the National Electoral Council and the Supreme Court, currently dominated by figures close to the government who supported Nicolás Maduro in the disputed 2024 presidential election. Machado is expected to demand electoral guarantees and a presidential vote as soon as possible, according to Ricardo Ríos, director of the consultancy Poder y Estrategia.
Machado’s return could complicate her relationship with US President Donald Trump’s administration. Washington supports the negotiation process with groups that do not include Machado’s Vente Venezuela movement, while maintaining that she has the right to be in her country. This position comes after María Corina Machado announced her return to Venezuela on 25 October, followed by her indication that she was ready to meet Delcy Rodríguez, announced on 26 October.
