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Venezuela's opposition reaffirms Machado as leader and sets out 14-point demand for free elections
Meeting in Caracas on Sunday, the Unitary Democratic Platform called for the release of political prisoners and the safe return of exiles. Machado herself remains abroad, blocked from coming home.
Key points
- The opposition coalition agreed to "recognise and support the leadership" of Maria Corina Machado.
- Its 14-point statement demands free elections, freedom for parties and the release of all political prisoners.
- No date has been set for a presidential vote; Machado wants one by July 2027.
Venezuela’s main opposition coalition on Sunday reaffirmed Maria Corina Machado as its leader and set out a 14-point plan for a democratic transition, stepping up pressure on the interim government of Delcy Rodriguez to name a date for free elections.
Members of the Unitary Democratic Platform (PUD) met in Caracas and agreed to “recognise and support the leadership of Maria Corina Machado”. Their statement called for freedom for political parties, the release of all political prisoners and a safe return for Venezuelans living in exile.
Edmundo Gonzalez, the opposition’s candidate in the disputed 2024 presidential election, backed the move. “The will of the Venezuelans must once again govern the destiny of our nation,” he wrote on social media. “We will not accept political prisoners, persecution or a governing power that disregards the mandate of its citizens.”
Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has lived abroad since December, and Venezuelan authorities have blocked her repeated attempts to return, her party Vente Venezuela says. Earlier this month she said “the only way to make this sustainable and a real victory is to turn Venezuela into a stable democracy”.
Rodriguez, previously Nicolas Maduro’s vice-president, has led the country since 3 January, after a US military operation removed Maduro. Her United Socialist Party has stayed in power with White House backing, and the Trump administration supports a three-phase plan that begins with stabilisation and economic recovery rather than an early vote. No election date has been set. Machado wants a vote by July 2027.
Her relationship with Washington has cooled. An unnamed US official has called her push “political opportunism”. A third round of talks between the Rodriguez government and the opposition began this month, but Machado is not part of it.