Trump and Venezuela’s Elusive Elections

More than nine months after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured and taken to the United States by U.S. Special Forces in January 2026, the country remains without clear election dates. María Corina Machado, the leading opposition figure, returned to Caracas on October 25, 2026, after a year in exile, thanking President Trump for removing Maduro and expressing hope for elections in 2027.

On January 3, 2026, Trump authorized the transfer of power to Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, and the two nations began discussions about Venezuela's future.

Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, presented Trump with her Nobel medal during a White House visit two weeks after the capture, hoping for early elections that she was predicted to win. However, Trump insisted that Venezuela wasn't ready for elections, claiming the process would take around 18 months. On August 28, 2026, the U.S. and Venezuela signed a historic deal to revive the country's oil industry.

The agreement gave the U.S. a 35% ownership stake in 17 oil fields and access to over 65 billion barrels of oil reserves, effectively controlling 55% of the output.

While the deal is hailed as the "biggest oil deal in world history" by Trump, it has little mention of elections or democracy. Machado, frustrated with being marginalized in talks with the 2015 National Assembly, accused investment partner Alejandro Betancourt of corruption, claiming it led to electricity shortages. She did not criticize Trump or propose repudiating the oil deal.

Machado's strategic move highlights the delicate balance leaders must maintain with the U.S. president who has significant influence over their countries' futures while leveraging opportunities created by Trump's declining popularity.