Rubio outlines three-stage plan for Venezuelan elections

The United States has formally reiterated its demand that Venezuela complete a series of economic and political steps before holding presidential elections. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conveyed this sequence to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco during Monday's talks in Caracas. Neither official held a press conference after the meeting ended.

The State Department described the plan as a reaffirmation of President Donald Trump's strategy. The first phase involves national stabilization. The second phase focuses on economic recovery and political reconciliation. The final phase consists of a democratic transition. This diplomatic exchange occurred nearly one year after US forces removed former President Nicolas Maduro from Caracas and transported him to the United States for trial on drug trafficking charges.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado returned to Venezuela last week to organize a pre-election movement. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate stated that the sequence proposed by Rubio clarified that presidential elections would occur in 2027. Machado expressed gratitude to Trump and Rubio for their support. She previously awarded her Nobel medal to Trump in 2025.

The political timeline runs parallel to new energy agreements. The Trump administration announced in September that Washington secured a stake in roughly one-fifth of Venezuela's oil resources. The deal involves a joint venture with North American Blue Energy Partners, or NABEP. Alejandro Betancourt, a Venezuelan businessman, owns the company. NABEP ranks as Venezuela's second-largest private oil operator behind Chevron.

Under the terms of the agreement, Caracas grants NABEP rights to 17 oilfields for a period of 100 years. These fields contain 65 billion barrels of proven reserves. The Pentagon holds a 35 percent stake in the company. The United States retains a guaranteed right to buy 20 percent of the company's oil production at cost.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who assumed office after Maduro's removal, promised elections with the world as a witness on Thursday. She did not specify a date for the vote. Machado questioned the clarity of the recent oil deal in remarks following her return home. She noted that the agreement did not reflect the level of transparency desired by Venezuelan society. Machado added that neither Rodriguez nor Washington had sent a message proposing a meeting.