The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has assured that the plan designed by Washington for a democratic transition in Venezuela is taking shape, with its sights set on renewing the Supreme Court in December and, subsequently, on setting in motion a "non-political" National Electoral Council (CNE) with the power to declare the vacancy of the Presidency —a position that Delcy Rodríguez holds on a provisional basis— and thereby trigger an election at the ballot box.
"We’re on the right track to have the new Supreme Court justices in office in the middle of next month, in December. Shortly thereafter, the new electoral council will be created," he said in a press briefing in Paris, where he is for a G7 foreign ministers summit.
Rubio emphasized that these institutional steps are "fundamental" and that, together with "free and open media," they constitute, in his view, the essential conditions "for elections to work in Venezuela".
"We must maintain constant oversight and ensure that we meet the established deadlines; once the electoral council is constituted and the necessary elements are in place, we can expect that the vacancy in the Presidency will be declared," Rubio snapped, referring to the head of state position that Delcy Rodríguez occupies on an interim basis, after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation in January 2026.
The head of U.S. diplomacy specified that the declaration of vacancy "would give rise to a six-month period for holding elections, on a date set by the legitimate electoral council that we expect to see constituted very soon". "In short, there is a plan. We are pushing it forward; it is a priority for us and I trust that it will succeed," he continued.
Rubio also stressed the importance of overseas voting, noting that "there are 7 million Venezuelans living abroad" and that "it is necessary to open consulates in the United States so that Venezuelans who reside there have a place they can go to in order to exercise their vote" in future Venezuelan elections. "At present, there is no Venezuelan consulate open in the United States," he warned.
After her appearance, the main opposition negotiator in the process open with the authorities, Dinorah Figuera, has expressed her recognition to the U.S. official and to her country "for all the support provided in the transition process to democracy in Venezuela".
"From the representation of the National Assembly of 2015 at the dialogue table, we are committed to complying with the established roadmap," she has said, before promising that Venezuelans will have "fair elections, protected and full democracy".