US Senators Demand Elections in Venezuela

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is urging for elections in Venezuela, seven months after the Trump administration's intervention led to the ousting of Nicolás Maduro. The resolution, introduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, expresses U.S. support for Venezuelan elections, calls for the release of political prisoners, and advocates for accountability for those harming candidates. This move reflects growing frustration with the current administration's perceived failure to enact significant change in Venezuela. Negotiations between Venezuela's interim government and an opposition faction are set to begin soon, but without María Corina Machado, the country's most popular opposition leader. Cruz emphasized that the Venezuelan people deserve free and fair elections, which are vital for U.S. national security interests. Shaheen added that Venezuelan authorities must release all political prisoners and allow all political actors, including Machado, to return and participate in political activities safely. The resolution has five additional co-sponsors. Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, left Venezuela late last year and has been living in hiding since the disputed 2024 presidential election. She vowed to return to help respond to recent earthquakes, a move that reportedly frustrated U.S. officials who questioned the timing. Trump has denied reports that his administration advised Machado against returning.

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The people of Venezuela deserve free, fair, and transparent elections, and it is vital for the national security interests of the United States that these elections be held as soon as possible.