Venezuela’s interim president rules out immediate elections

Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez ruled out calling immediate presidential elections on Thursday, saying the country needs comprehensive institutional reforms before a definitive electoral calendar can be set, Anadolu Agency reported.

Rodriguez said elections in line with the Constitution would take place, but their timing should prioritise political stability rather than strict deadlines.

“The election should not be a problem, and we will not go back until there are times when there is no confrontation,” Rodriguez said in an address to the nation. “The political future of the country is not measured by a date on the calendar.”

She outlined a roadmap that includes legislative changes, guarantees of participation for all political groups and a complete renewal of the electoral authority.

The reform process, Rodriguez said, should create “an electoral power accepted by all” so elections can serve as “a solution and not a generator of irreconcilable conflicts”. She called for an orderly “political, economic, cultural, spiritual, democratic and verifiable” transition and cautioned against abrupt political shifts.

“Venezuela is not going to jump into a void. Let’s employ existing laws and institutions to make them better,” she added.

Rodriguez also announced new directives for domestic law enforcement amid longstanding complaints from human rights organisations about arbitrary detentions. She instructed police agencies to ensure that “no person is detained” without a formal court order.

The address came ahead of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado’s first scheduled news conference since returning to Venezuela. Her party, Vente Venezuela, said she was expected to speak to the media around midday.

Machado’s appearance follows a recent visit to the northern coastal state of La Guaira, where she met communities affected by the double earthquake on June 24. Expectations are high for her response to the government’s proposed electoral conditions and her plans for the opposition’s strategy.

Asked about Machado on Wednesday, Rodriguez rejected claims of state intimidation, saying “there is no political persecution” in Venezuela and suggesting Machado “could avoid the show.”