U.S. backs Venezuela's August political transition, opposition warns exclusion of Machado

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States will play an active role in a political transition in Venezuela that is slated to begin in the first week of August. The agreement, reached between representatives of the 2015‑elected National Assembly and the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez, establishes a joint forum for reconciliation talks and for planning a democratic transition. Rubio said Washington has already provided more than $180 million in humanitarian aid after the June 24 earthquakes and is working to expand financing for reconstruction.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles warned that any negotiation that excludes opposition figure María Corina Machado would be destined to fail, stressing that her participation is essential for the country's reconstruction and institutional renewal. Former National Assembly president Dinorah Figuera said the dialogue will invite “all democratic sectors” and emphasized the importance of U.S. involvement in driving concrete progress toward a peaceful, electoral transition.

The talks follow a series of earthquakes that killed over 5,000 people and injured more than 16,000, prompting the United Nations‑backed humanitarian response and renewed diplomatic engagement.