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Venezuela’s main opposition party, Vente Venezuela, has called for nationwide protests on Oct. 22 to demand safe passage for its leader, Maria Corina Machado, to return to the country, Anadolu Agency reported.
At a news conference in Caracas on Monday, national party leader Carlos Fernandez said demonstrations would take place in all 23 states, bringing together civil society groups, trade unions, youth organizations and opposition parties.
Fernandez said mothers, teachers, young people, other social sectors, the Plataforma Unitaria and political parties across the spectrum would join the protests. He urged supporters to set aside their fears, saying Machado was returning to unite Venezuela and accelerate a transition.
Opposition sets out three further demands
Alongside Machado’s return, the party is calling for a definitive date for presidential elections, using the slogan “Election Day is Liberation Day!” Vente Venezuela backed a proposal by US Congressman Bernie Moreno to hold the vote on July 24, 2027, a date Machado has publicly supported.
The party is also demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all detained opposition activists and political dissidents. Fernandez said their families could no longer endure their continued imprisonment.
A third demand is the restoration of full political rights and the lifting of administrative disqualifications imposed on opposition leaders.
Fernandez cites worsening conditions
Fernandez described the Oct. 22 mobilization as the “spearhead for peaceful mobilization” amid worsening socio-economic conditions and infrastructure failures in Venezuela.
He said the country was experiencing one of the hardest periods in its history, citing persecution, torture and exile, as well as shortages of electricity and water and hunger.
The protest call comes during a third round of political transition talks between government representatives and a sector of the opposition. The negotiations resumed shortly after Washington lifted sanctions against Jorge Rodriguez, the administration’s chief negotiator and brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
Political bans remain a central issue in the talks. Machado has formally called for the immediate removal of the administrative disqualification imposed on her in 2023, which barred her from appearing on the ballot in previous presidential election cycles.
