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Venezuela’s opposition party has demanded that new presidential elections be organised, arguing that the constitutional timeline for replacing ousted leader Nicolas Maduro has already expired.
The Vente party, led by opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, said the 90-day legal window for arranging a vote had lapsed and insisted that a new election process should begin within 30 days of its declaration.
The group also argued that Maduro’s absence from the country following his detention by United States forces earlier in the year effectively created a leadership vacuum requiring a formal electoral reset.
It pointed to constitutional provisions stating that a temporary presidential absence can be covered for only a limited period by the vice president, after which the National Assembly must determine whether the absence becomes permanent and triggers a succession process.
According to the opposition, the prolonged uncertainty around the presidency now meets the threshold for declaring a permanent vacancy, which they say obligates authorities to organise elections.
“The Venezuelan constitution says that temporary absences of the president of the republic shall be filled by the executive vice president for up to 90 days, extendable by decision of the National Assembly for an additional 90 days.
“If a temporary absence lasts for more than 90 consecutive days, the National Assembly shall decide by a majority vote of its members whether it should be considered a permanent absence,” says Article 234 of the constitution, which was cited by Vente.
The party maintained that Maduro is no longer exercising executive authority and said this was widely recognised both domestically and internationally.
The push for elections comes as political tensions in Caracas heightens, where recent protests over economic conditions have signalled growing public frustration with the country’s leadership transition.
It also follows nearly three months since Maduro was reportedly detained in a US military operation and later taken to New York to face charges, while Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed interim leadership.
The opposition said parliament has so far failed to initiate any formal electoral process or set a clear timeline for a transition, instead focusing on economic reforms and governance restructuring.
It also accused the electoral authorities of previously enabling disputed results in the last presidential vote, which it claims did not reflect the true outcome, pointing to its own vote tallies that showed an opposition victory.
The National Electoral Council had earlier declared Maduro the winner without releasing detailed results, a move that triggered widespread protests and a crackdown by security forces.
Opposition leaders are now calling for changes to the electoral body and a fully supervised vote to restore credibility to the political system.
