María Corina Machado barred from US‑backed Venezuelan dialogue as Trump says elections not ready

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that a transition process in Venezuela is set to begin on 1 August with a negotiation table involving Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez, brother of interim president Delcy Rodríguez, and an opposition faction headed by Dinorah Figuerá. Rubio said opposition leader María Corina Machado could play an “important” role, but Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, issued a statement that she is not part of the talks and will not obstruct the process.

Machado and her running mate Edmundo González Urrutia signed a document emphasizing the need for new elections as soon as possible, recalling their loss of privileged interlocutor status after the U.S. military operation on 3 January that displaced Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump later told reporters that Venezuela is still “not prepared” for elections, although “many advances” have been made, praising interim president Delcy Rodríguez and noting U.S. interests in Venezuelan oil. Trump added that Washington will monitor the situation when the country is ready.

The talks, supported by the United States, are slated to start on 1 August, aiming to promote democracy and a peaceful transition. Machado has signaled her intention to return to Venezuela to run for president, while continuing to call for the release of political prisoners and the return of exiles.