Venezuela opposition coalition confirms Machado as leader, seeks election roadmap

An alliance of Venezuelan opposition parties has confirmed exiled Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado as its leader, a decision that increases pressure on the interim authorities to allow her return.

The Unitary Democratic Platform (PUD) said in a final document after a meeting in Caracas on Sunday that members had agreed to “recognise and support the leadership of María Corina Machado.” Ms Machado is currently living in Panama.

The announcement comes as one opposition faction is engaged in political transition talks with the interim government. The talks follow the removal of long-time leader Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in January by the US military and flown to New York to stand trial. His deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, assumed power in his place and is governing under intense pressure from Washington.

At the Caracas meeting, PUD members put forward 14 proposals for restoring democracy in Venezuela and a roadmap for holding general elections. The alliance did not set a date for the vote.

The coalition also agreed to demand the unconditional release of all political prisoners, an end to political repression and the right of exiles to return home. It called for full freedom for political parties, the lifting of bans on candidates running for office and an end to administrative proceedings targeting political organisations. It also sought measures to protect human rights.

The group called for a peaceful transition to democracy and free, competitive elections. Ms Machado’s party, Vente, is calling for elections next year and demanding that a date be set.

Ms Machado has been in exile since she covertly left Venezuela in 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. According to her party, she has tried at least seven times to return home but has been blocked by Venezuelan authorities.

The agreement comes as the government and a faction of the opposition hold their third round of US-backed talks in Caracas. Ms Machado has not been invited to participate, though she has said she will not obstruct the process.

The PUD’s recognition of Ms Machado gives the opposition alliance a clearer focal point as transition talks continue. It remains unclear whether the interim authorities will permit her return or accept the coalition’s demands for a timetable and open elections. The proposals are likely to shape the next phase of Venezuela’s political transition, but the absence of a firm election date leaves the timetable uncertain.

Sunday’s meeting was the latest effort by opposition parties to present a united front after years of fragmentation. The PUD includes parties that have differed over tactics, including whether to take part in talks with the interim government. The document seeks to set common conditions for any transition and to give the opposition a single negotiating position.

Venezuela has faced years of political and economic crisis. The opposition has long argued that free and fair elections are needed to restore democratic legitimacy. The PUD’s document did not say how its demands would be enforced or how quickly a vote could be organised.