Machado Eyes 2026 Elections; Venezuelan Protesters Want Maduro Back

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said elections could be held later this year, according to a Thursday report by Politico. Machado told the news outlet her coalition won 70% of the vote in the disputed 2024 election, which meant the opposition has strong public and military support.

“We believe that a real transferring process with manual voting … could be done in nine to 10 months,” Machado told Politico. “But, well, that depends on when you start.”

Her statements come just days after government supporters flooded the streets demanding the release of President Nicolás Maduro.

On Tuesday, thousands of Chavista supporters marched through the capital demanding the release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, one month after their arrest by US forces.

“Venezuela needs Nicolás!” protesters chanted during the rally, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the country had turned US pressure into stability. “It is a great victory for the people that there is stability,” she said, claiming a national outcry for the couple’s release.

Maduro and Flores face drug trafficking charges in New York. Both have pleaded not guilty.