Thousands of Venezuelans marched in Caracas and several other cities on Thursday in the first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years, demanding free elections and a date for the vote to choose a successor to former president Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by US forces in January. President Donald Trump and acting President Delcy Rodriguez have both said elections will be held, but no date has been set.
Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets on Thursday in Caracas, Valencia, Maracay, San Cristobal and Maracaibo in the first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years. The rallies, organised by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's Vente Venezuela movement, demanded free elections and an end to the uncertainty that has followed Maduro's capture by US forces in a military raid in January.
Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who has spent nearly a year outside the country after living in hiding following the contested 2024 election, has said elections must take place by July 2027.
"Seeing this makes me happy because I know change is possible," said Leosmary Hernandez, an 18-year-old cosmetology student who joined hundreds of others in northern Maracay. "I've been through so many hardships, so many problems because of the dollar, and difficulties studying. I have high hopes for my country and for our next leader and president, Maria Corina."
"I went out to protest before, when things were much tougher, and I'm even less afraid today because I want my voice to be heard," she added.
Security forces kept a minimal presence at the protest sites, a departure from past deployments against the socialist movement's opponents. The ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) called its own march from Caracas' Plaza Venezuela, the same square where the opposition had planned to gather two hours later. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello was pictured on state television at the march, and opposition supporters moved to a nearby location.
Venezuela has been led since January 3 by interim President Rodriguez, Maduro's former vice president, after the PSUV remained in power with the support of the White House. The Trump administration backs Rodriguez and maintains an active role in the country, exerting control over its oil resources and pressing for reforms. PSUV leaders have been accused of human rights abuses against dissidents, including arbitrary arrest, imprisonment and torture.
A vote is not yet in sight. US-backed talks between a faction of the opposition and the interim government, aimed at remaking the top court and the electoral council ahead of eventual elections, held their latest session this month, but the changes could take significant time. Machado's movement is not part of those talks, though she has said she will not stand in their way.
The 2024 election remains deeply disputed. Machado's proxy, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, claims to have won according to tallies collected by the opposition, but the government, which never released full counts, backed Maduro, as did the country's legal and electoral institutions. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face drug and torture charges in the United States and have pleaded not guilty.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years shows the opposition is willing to mobilise in public again, testing the restraint the government showed this week.
- Elections have been promised by both Trump and Rodriguez but no date has been set, leaving Venezuela in limbo. Machado's July 2027 deadline puts a marker on the transition.
- The United States' deep involvement, including control of Venezuelan oil, means the path to any vote is tied up with US policy and its contested role in the country.
Background
Venezuela's socialist movement has governed since 1999, first under Hugo Chavez and then under Nicolas Maduro. The 2024 election was bitterly contested: the opposition says Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won, while the government, which never released full counts, declared Maduro the winner and was backed by the country's legal and electoral institutions.
The situation changed dramatically in January, when US forces captured Maduro in a military raid. The PSUV remained in power with White House support, and Rodriguez, Maduro's former vice president, became interim president on January 3. The United States maintains control over Venezuela's oil resources and backs talks between a faction of the opposition and the interim government on reshaping the top court and the electoral council ahead of an eventual vote.
Key Perspectives
Opposition supporters: Machado and her Vente Venezuela movement organised Thursday's rallies and insist elections must be held by July 2027. Protesters such as Hernandez said they see Machado as the leader who can bring change.
Interim government: Rodriguez and the PSUV have pledged elections together with Trump but have not named a date, and point to the ongoing US-backed talks on judicial and electoral reform as the route forward.
The United States: The Trump administration backs Rodriguez despite her history as Maduro's vice president, is pressing for reforms, and is pursuing drug and torture charges against Maduro and his wife, who have pleaded not guilty.
Critics/Skeptics: PSUV leaders have been accused of human rights abuses against dissidents, including arbitrary arrest, imprisonment and torture, and Machado's movement is outside the talks, raising questions about whether elections negotiated without the main opposition can be trusted.
What to Watch
- Whether the government announces a date for the presidential vote; Machado has set July 2027 as her deadline.
- The pace of the US-backed talks to remake the top court and the electoral council, which could take significant time.
- Whether the minimal security presence at Thursday's protests becomes the norm or rises again if the opposition returns to the streets.