Venezuela’s elections may be postponed by at least a year — TimesLIVE

In Venezuela, the long-awaited elections may be postponed by at least a year due to planned reforms of the judicial system and electoral bodies. Two Reuters sources said the vote is unlikely to take place before the end of next year, TimesLIVE reports.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over the country after Nicolás Maduro was captured during a U.S. raid in January, addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. She said state institutions were preparing for elections and that her government had begun talks with the opposition and would guarantee full participation in the process. However, Rodríguez did not name any specific timeline.

Replacing judges and the electoral council

According to five political sources and analysts, the main obstacles include complex institutional reforms and a lack of clear urgency from Washington regarding the swift holding of the vote. As part of U.S.-backed talks, the replacement of all 32 Supreme Court judges and five directors of the National Electoral Council is being discussed.

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Opposition forces and international human rights observers had previously said these bodies lacked independence and called Maduro’s re-elections in 2018 and 2024 rigged. After a new electoral council is formed, the authorities will also have to update voter rolls, ensure participation for all parties, and determine whether voting will be manual or electronic. According to two sources close to the talks, this stage alone could take up to a year.

Priority on economic stability

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the political transition must be accompanied by economic and social stability. Critics of this approach believe Washington has reduced the priority of free elections in favor of oil and investment agreements with the interim government.

Risa Grais-Targow, Eurasia Group’s director for Latin America, believes new elections may not take place before the end of 2027. Opposition leader María Corina Machado, who is in exile and is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was absent from the talks with the interim government.