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Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López calls for new electoral council this year
🇵🇦 Panama /Elections & Politics

Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López calls for new electoral council this year

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López called for a new National Electoral Council to be established by the end of the year as a crucial step for political transition.
  • López, who lives in exile in Spain, emphasized the need for proper conditions for elections rather than just the timing.
  • He was previously imprisoned for inciting violence during protests against former President Nicolás Maduro and has faced attempts to strip him of his Venezuelan nationality.

Venezuelan opposition figure Leopoldo López urged the creation of a new National Electoral Council by year-end, deeming it essential for a political transition in the country. Speaking at a Freedom House event in Washington, López stressed that establishing the right conditions for elections is more critical than merely setting a date.

More than talking about when the elections will be held, it is important to talk about what are the necessary conditions for them to take place.

— Leopoldo LópezSpeaking at an event organized by Freedom House in Washington.

López, who has lived in exile in Spain since 2020, stated, "We need a new electoral council, a new CNE, as we call it in Venezuela." He expressed hope that "we will end 2026 with a new electoral council."

His call comes amidst ongoing political complexities in Venezuela. López was sentenced in 2015 to nearly 14 years in prison for allegedly inciting violence during protests against then-President Nicolás Maduro. He was later moved to house arrest and participated in a failed military uprising in 2017 before escaping to Madrid in 2020. In October 2025, Nicolás Maduro reportedly asked Venezuela's Supreme Court to strip López of his nationality. López recently obtained Spanish citizenship.

We need a new electoral council, a new CNE, as we call it in Venezuela.

— Leopoldo LópezExplaining the necessity of electoral reform.

The interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez has outlined a work plan with the opposition starting in August, adding another layer to the country's political landscape.

I hope that happens in 2026, that we end 2026 with a new electoral council.

— Leopoldo LópezExpressing his timeline for electoral reform.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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