Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez promises elections at UN, gives no date

Rodriguez says Venezuela is transitioning to full democracy and has opened dialogue with opposition sectors.

Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, on September 23, 2026 [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]

Venezuela’s acting president told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday that the country would hold elections as part of a transition to “full democracy”, but did not give a specific date for the vote.

“I wish to state this very clearly before this General Assembly: Elections will be held in Venezuela,” Delcy Rodriguez said, adding that her government has started a “political dialogue with opposition sectors” to secure a “process based on equal conditions for all.”

Rodriguez said that the Venezuelan people will determine the best time to get elections moving and assured the UN that, when the time comes, the country’s institutions “will be prepared to guarantee an inclusive and transparent process”.

Rodriguez took over as Venezuela’s interim president after a surprise United States military raid in January that abducted then-leader Nicolas Maduro and brought him to the US to face drug trafficking charges.

This is the first trip to the US by a Venezuelan head of state since 2018, when Maduro travelled to New York to participate in the UNGA. He is currently being held only a few miles from the organisation’s headquarters as he awaits trial.

Rodriguez’s participation in the international forum also marks a milestone in Venezuela’s reintegration into global diplomacy. She faced a delicate balance in her closely watched UN speech, which needed to be addressed to both her people and the US government that holds her predecessor.

She said her country is coming back strong after “setbacks” suffered this year and thanked US President Donald Trump for being willing to resume relations after the US military spirited her predecessor out of the country.

Rodriguez met with Trump briefly on the sidelines of the assembly on Tuesday. Among other matters, Trump and Rodriguez discussed restructuring the South American nation’s billions of dollars in sovereign debt.

Critics say Washington has sidelined the Venezuelan opposition, dropping demands for free elections in favour of oil and investment deals with the interim government.

“Today, Venezuela is being reborn,” Rodriguez said in her remarks to the international forum.

“I do not promise you an easy way forward,” Rodriguez said, saying she was addressing her people. “Rebuilding our national soul will be the priority.”

罗德里格斯表示，委内瑞拉正在向全面民主过渡，并已与反对派展开对话。

2026年9月23日，委内瑞拉临时总统德尔西·罗德里格斯在美国纽约联合国总部向第81届联合国大会发表讲话。[Eduardo Munoz/路透社]

委内瑞拉代理总统周三在联合国大会上表示，该国将举行选举，作为向“全面民主”过渡的一部分，但他没有给出具体的投票日期。

“我想在联合国大会上非常明确地声明：委内瑞拉将举行选举，”德尔西·罗德里格斯说，并补充说，她的政府已经开始与反对派进行“政治对话”，以确保“在人人平等的条件下进行选举”。

罗德里格斯表示，委内瑞拉人民将决定何时举行选举，并向联合国保证，时机成熟时，该国各机构“将做好准备，确保选举过程的包容性和透明度”。

今年1月，美国军方突袭委内瑞拉，绑架了当时的领导人尼古拉斯·马杜罗，并将其带到美国面临贩毒指控。罗德里格斯随后接任委内瑞拉临时总统。

这是自2018年马杜罗前往纽约参加联合国大会以来，委内瑞拉国家元首首次访问美国。目前，他被关押在距离联合国总部仅几英里的地方，等待审判。

罗德里格斯参加此次国际论坛也标志着委内瑞拉重新融入全球外交进程中的一个里程碑。她在备受瞩目的联合国演讲中面临着微妙的平衡，既要向委内瑞拉人民发表讲话，又要向扣押其前任的美国政府发表讲话。

她说，她的国家在经历了今年的“挫折”后正在强劲复苏，并感谢美国总统唐纳德·特朗普愿意在美军将她的前任秘密送出该国后恢复两国关系。

周二，罗德里格斯在大会间隙与特朗普进行了短暂会面。除其他事项外，特朗普和罗德里格斯还讨论了重组这个南美国家数十亿美元的主权债务的问题。

批评人士称，华盛顿已经将委内瑞拉反对派边缘化，放弃了对自由选举的要求，转而与临时政府达成石油和投资协议。

“今天，委内瑞拉正在重生，”罗德里格斯在国际论坛上发表讲话时说道。

罗德里格斯说：“我不能向你们承诺一条轻松的出路。”她表示，她是在对她的人民讲话。“重建我们的民族精神将是首要任务。”