US urges Venezuela to follow phased plan for democratic transition | Politics News
US Urges Venezuela to Pursue Economic Recovery and Political Reconciliation Before Elections
Published: Nov. 3, 2026
The United States has called on Venezuela to follow a phased approach toward economic recovery and political reconciliation before holding democratic elections.
During a meeting on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the plan for Venezuela’s political future with the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oliver Blanco. This meeting took place nearly a year after U.S. forces detained former President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on charges related to drug trafficking and other offenses.
While neither Rubio nor Blanco provided comments to the media after their discussions, the U.S. State Department issued a readout confirming Washington’s support for what it termed President Donald Trump’s “three-phase plan” for Venezuela: stabilization, economic recovery and political reconciliation, followed by a democratic transition.
Last week, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado returned to Venezuela, expressing gratitude to President Trump and Rubio for their backing. Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who previously gifted her medal to Trump, stated that she has returned to mobilize support for upcoming elections.
Machado indicated that Rubio has outlined a framework aimed at facilitating a democratic transition, which includes plans for presidential elections scheduled for 2027.
As she manages her election campaign, Machado faces a complex relationship with an administration that has sought to extract oil from Venezuela through agreements with interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who assumed power following Maduro’s abduction.
In September, the Trump administration announced it had finalized a deal granting the U.S. an interest in approximately 20% of Venezuela’s oil resources. This agreement involves the creation of a joint venture with North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), a company owned by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt and the second-largest private oil operator in the country, behind Chevron.
Under the terms of the agreement, Caracas will grant NABEP 100-year rights to 17 oilfields with proven reserves estimated at 65 billion barrels. The Pentagon is expected to hold a 35% stake in NABEP, and the U.S. will reportedly have the right to purchase 20% of the company’s oil output at cost, according to statements from the Trump administration.
Shortly before Machado’s remarks on Thursday, Rodriguez assured citizens that elections would occur in Venezuela “with the world as witness,” although she did not specify a date for the polls.
When asked about the possibility of meeting with Rodriguez, Machado indicated that she had not received any communication from the interim president or the U.S. government.
Upon her return to Venezuela, Machado expressed skepticism regarding the oil agreement with the United States, stating, “This agreement does not reflect the levels of transparency that Venezuelan society wants.”
