Venezuelan unions and students pressure authorities for new election timetable

More than a dozen union leaders gathered in Caracas demanding the dismissal of the Venezuela National Electoral Council (CNE) members perceived as loyal to the ruling party and calling for a clear schedule for presidential elections. They warned that if the CNE does not set a timetable, the entire council should resign. The protests reference the approaching July 3 deadline that marks the end of the interim period led by Vice‑President Delcy Rodríguez after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro five months earlier, and they urge the United States to support free, internationally‑observed elections.

Separately, the University Council of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) moved its student and faculty elections from June 26 to July 10. Students protested the change, arguing that many out‑of‑town students would be unable to vote on the new date. Demonstrators seized the council chamber, demanding that the original June 26 date be restored, while the council cited an electoral commission request to adjust the schedule and announced a special registration period for affected voters.