Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado Urges 2027 Elections and Oil-Revenue Transparency

In a statement reported on October 9, Maria Corina Machado—identified in the report as the Venezuelan opposition leader and the winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize—called for national elections to be held in the next calendar year. She asserted that there is “more than enough time” to prepare for a vote by July, stressing that the July target would allow sufficient preparation for a credible electoral process.

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Machado also turned attention to the management of proceeds from Venezuela’s oil sales, noting that the revenue stream is currently overseen by Washington. She argued that greater transparency in how these funds are allocated would bolster public confidence and link the country’s oil wealth to the broader goal of establishing a stable democratic system. She noted that the current oversight arrangement places Washington in a supervisory role over the oil revenue stream.

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She further stated that the United States government and the Venezuelan people share a common objective: turning Venezuela into a stable democracy, which she described as the only way to achieve a sustainable and real victory for the nation. Machado framed electoral reform as inseparable from economic accountability, suggesting that transparent oil-revenue management is a prerequisite for lasting political change.

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• “The US government and the Venezuelan people all agree that the only way to make this sustainable and a real victory is to turn Venezuela into a stable democracy,” — Corina Machado

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Machado’s appeal sets a target of holding a July election in the next year, though no specific election date has been announced. The timeline will require coordination among opposition factions, the incumbent government, and the international actors involved in overseeing oil-revenue distribution.

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