President Jorge Rodríguez of Venezuela’s National Assembly said there will be no presidential elections for the time being, stressing that the government’s current focus is on national stability.
His comments were made late Monday in an interview published by conservative US news outlet Newsmax.
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Venezuela’s presidential term is six years, with the last controversial election held in 2024. Newsmax host Rob Schmidt asked if that meant there would be no new elections for another five years.
“The only thing I can say is that there will be no elections in the immediate period when stabilization must be achieved,” Rodriguez replied.
He explained that this decision is tied to broader efforts to rebuild and strengthen Venezuela’s state institutions.
“What we are working on now is what we call the re-institutionalization of the country, so that all the institutions of the country have full authority again and are fully recognized by everyone,” he said.
Rodriguez, who has led the National Assembly since 2021, added that Venezuelans want a return to normalcy following the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro.
“The Delcy Rodríguez government is actually aiming to completely stabilize the country, to make everything good, to reconcile everyone, all the people of Venezuela,” he said.
The United States abducted President Maduro in a military operation on January 3rd. In the weeks since then, Venezuela’s Supreme Court has appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, the sister of the National Assembly speaker, as acting president.
She was officially sworn into office on January 5, with support from Venezuela’s military, ruling party, and the United States.
Jorge Rodriguez told Newsmax that the current government needs to “reach an agreement with all sectors of the opposition” to set a “timetable” for new elections.
amnesty law
Mr. Maduro’s abduction initially raised hopes that new elections would be held after the disputes surrounding the 2024 presidential election.
The election was controversial, with President Maduro claiming victory for a third consecutive term, even though the opposition released vote tallies that appeared to show Maduro’s victory.
Protests erupted, and Maduro’s government responded with a violent crackdown. According to the US State Department, an estimated 25 people were killed.
In an interview Monday, Rodriguez denied claims that the 2024 race is not legitimate. Instead, he stressed the push for national unity, saying, “We have been divided for a very long time.”
He highlighted Congress’ efforts to pass a mass amnesty law that would release all political prisoners and pardon all crimes related to political opposition since 1999.
The bill was unanimously approved in the first of two votes Thursday and is expected to pass this week.
Still, questions remain about the bill. Critics fear that political repression could take other forms after the prisoners’ release.
Schmidt asked whether opposition leader Maria Colina Machado would be able to return to Venezuela and campaign freely in future elections after the bill was passed.
“So please try not to talk about just one name, because there are many actors abroad who must be included in this discussion,” Rodriguez replied.
“Currently, there is an amnesty law in place that takes into account cooperation with the people, but there are also rebel groups overseas who are promoting violence.”
He also said he believed the amnesty bill would not apply to opposition leaders accused of violent crimes.
“Through this amnesty law, we are urging all opposition factions abroad to comply with the law and allow them to return home,” Rodriguez said.
But opposition leaders have long argued that the government is spreading false accusations of violent crimes, arresting and imprisoning people.
Machado himself was accused of conspiring to assassinate Maduro in 2014 and was expelled from Congress.
Rodriguez’s comments also came amid developments in the case of former lawmaker Juan Pablo Guanipa.
Leader was released on Sunday after spending more than eight months in pre-trial detention, but was rearrested less than 12 hours later after speaking to media and supporters.
According to his family, he was held by armed groups without identification or a court order. His son, Ramon Guanipa, described the incident as a “kidnapping.”
Officials later announced that they had requested the release order be revoked, citing failure to comply with the conditions imposed upon their release.
Early Tuesday morning, Mr. Guanipa was transferred to his home in Maracaibo, where he remains under house arrest.
Machado condemned these actions, saying Guanipa’s case shows that the release announced by the government does not guarantee the full exercise of political and civil rights.
“What was Juan Pablo’s crime? Telling the truth. So what are these releases or what?” Machado said Monday.
She questioned whether released prisoners were truly free from what she described as the repressive apparatus of the Venezuelan government.
“Can’t we talk about the people in prison in Venezuela? Can’t we talk about what they went through? Can’t we explain the horror of what’s happening in our country today?”
