Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez Promises Elections at Right Moment in First UN General Assembly Address Since US Abduction of Maduro

Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez delivered her first address to the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2026, promising that elections will be held in Venezuela at the right moment to be determined by the Venezuelan people, according to KPBS, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and multiple sources. Rodríguez, who assumed power on January 5, 2026 after Venezuela's supreme court ordered her to take charge following the US military abduction of President Nicolás Maduro, stated her government has started political dialogue with opposition sectors to secure a process based on equal conditions for all. She did not specify a date or timetable for elections, saying only that Venezuelan institutions will be prepared to guarantee an inclusive and transparent process when the time comes.

Meanwhile, opposition protests erupted in Caracas as supporters of María Corina Machado, the prominent opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been blocked from entering Venezuela three times, demanded her return and called for elections, according to Democracy Now. Machado has been largely sidelined by US officials after Maduro's abduction, despite her previous close relationship with President Trump. The uncertain electoral timeline and continued exclusion of key opposition figures raise questions about Venezuela's political transition under the US-backed interim government. Rodríguez was foreign minister from 2014 to 2017 and executive vice president since 2018, but has never stood for the presidency herself.

Sources

Sources: KPBS, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Democracy Now, The Rio Times, KUOW, and NPR Illinois. Rodríguez addressed the 81st UN General Assembly on September 23, 2026. She was sworn in as acting president on January 5, 2026. Democracy Now reported on Caracas protests demanding Machado's return.