Venezuela leader says 'absolutely' committed to hold free elections

AFP

Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez said in an interview aired Thursday that she was “absolutely” committed to holding free and fair elections, but the timing would be decided as part of a “political dialogue.”

Rodriguez assumed Venezuela’s presidency in early January after a US military raid toppled her former boss Nicolas Maduro, whose reelections were widely criticized as fraudulent.

In the first few weeks in her new role, Rodriguez has won praise from Washington for fulfilling its demands on access to Venezuela’s critical oil sector — a priority for US President Donald Trump — and releasing imprisoned political opponents.

But questions have remained over the extent to which Rodriguez would be willing to reconcile with the political opposition, who claims the 2024 presidential election was stolen from them — a stance backed by the United States.

Asked by NBC News host Kristen Welker on Wednesday if she was committed to holding free and fair elections, Rodriguez said: “Absolutely, yes.”

“We will have elections in this country, fair and free of course, as stated in the constitution,” she said in remarks translated by NBC, adding that the “time frame for the elections will be marked and decided by the political dialogue in this country.”

Rodriguez also said that to have free elections, Venezuela would need to be “free from sanctions.”

However, she doubled down on defending prior votes, insisting Maduro was “the legitimate president” and “innocent” of the US charges he faces after being captured and taken to New York.

Rodriguez also appeared to accuse Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado of wrongdoing and would not commit to helping the Nobel peace laureate return to the country.

“With regards to her life, we do not understand why there is such a fuss about it,” Rodriguez said, when asked if she would make sure Machado could return to Venezuela safely and permit her to run for president.

“She will have to answer to Venezuela why she called upon a military intervention, why she called upon sanctions to Venezuela, and why she celebrated the actions that took place at the beginning of January,” she added.

AFP