In brief
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that elections in Venezuela should ideally be held next year, though he declined to guarantee that the vote would take place before the end of Donald Trump’s presidential term. Rubio noted that the Venezuelan government needs to take several critical steps to create proper conditions for a free and fair vote. Earlier statements from Rubio in May suggested a vote could be held while Trump remained in office, but Trump himself said it was too early to hold elections in Venezuela. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, added that the country will hold a presidential election when its people consider the timing right, not because of external orders.
Marco Rubio said that elections in Venezuela would "ideally" be held next year, but declined to guarantee that the vote would occur before the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s term, according to TASS.
Rubio added that Venezuela still has to take critical steps to create the right conditions for a free and fair vote. Trump’s presidential term is set to expire on January 20, 2029.
The U.S. Secretary of State in a May statement said elections in Venezuela would be held while Trump was still in office, but Trump himself told a Time magazine interview in early October that it was too early to hold elections in Venezuela.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, addressed the United Nations General Assembly, saying the country would hold a presidential election once its people considered the timing right, rather than being ordered by foreign powers.
