Venezuelan opposition confirms Maria Corina Machado's leadership — Al Jazeera

Venezuela’s opposition Unitary Democratic Platform, at a meeting in Caracas, confirmed its support for exiled Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado as its leader. The coalition also renewed its demand for free elections in the country, Al Jazeera reports.

Proposals for a democratic transition

The opposition’s statement sets out 14 proposals for a democratic transition. They include freedom for political parties to operate, the release of all political prisoners, and the safe return of people who left Venezuela.

Former opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González supported these proposals on social media. He said that the will of Venezuelans must once again determine the country’s fate and that the opposition would not accept political imprisonment, persecution, or a government that ignores citizens’ mandate.

Elections and Machado’s return

The date of new presidential elections in Venezuela has not yet been announced. Since January 3, the country has been led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a representative of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, which has long been in power.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Leaders of this party have been accused of human rights violations against political opponents, including arbitrary detentions, imprisonment, and torture. After a US military operation during which, according to Al Jazeera, former President Nicolás Maduro was kidnapped and imprisoned, the party retained power with the support of the White House.

Machado has been in exile since leaving Venezuela last December to receive the Nobel Prize. Her party, Vente Venezuela, says that Venezuelan authorities have repeatedly blocked her attempts to return. Machado previously told the Financial Times that she would like to hold elections by July next year.

In 2023, Machado won the opposition’s presidential primary, but in January 2024 courts barred her from running, leaving in force a 15-year ban on holding public office. González replaced her in the 2024 election. Maduro declared victory despite widespread criticism that the vote did not meet democratic standards.