Trade union members march to demand that the government announce a timetable for presidential elections in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey) Seven months have passed since the historic arrest and removal from power of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. The tyranny appears to be down, but not done.
The highly enriched uranium was removed, a Hezbollah terrorist was captured, the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang was eliminated and the oil industry is slowly recovering.
Despite this, 379 political prisoners have still not been released. There is still no electoral calendar, and María Corina Machado, the leading opposition figure, remains in exile.
Against this backdrop, a new dialogue began between the interim government and representatives of the opposition National Assembly elected in 2015. The talks — which did not include Machado — addressed issues such as the response to the June 24 earthquake and the strengthening of democracy and political rights and guarantees. The release of political prisoners was not explicitly mentioned.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the challenging task ahead.
“You are dealing with a system that’s been in place for over a quarter-century, so those are deep roots that you have to deal with. It’s also a country that faces a lot of problems, I mean a lot of economic problems, not to mention now they’ve had an earthquake.”
He said stabilization is key to avoiding civil war, mass migration or civil unrest, and the nation needs “a functioning economy” and laws and guidelines for safe international investment.
“Ultimately, you have to have transition,” he said.
Speaking from exile, Machado said she does not oppose dialogue. But she noted that the regime has been engaged in talks for more than 25 years, and that results are now what matter most. She emphasized that a transition is urgent and must include the release of all political prisoners — both civilian and military — freedom of expression, the dismantling of repressive apparatuses and an electoral timetable.
“It’s not about me as a person, it’s about Venezuelans who, in the most extreme conditions, exercised popular sovereignty through the vote,” she said. “There is a legitimacy there that is absolutely valid, recognized by the world.”
The U.S. Embassy in Caracas welcomed the new dialogue between Venezuela’s 2015 National Assembly, led by Dinorah Figuera, and the interim government of Delcy Rodriguez. It wrote that the dialogue contributes significantly to a “three-phase plan” that includes “stabilization, economic recovery and political reconciliation, as well as a transition to democratic elections.”
“We are confident this work can generate tangible results for Venezuelans,” it concluded.
Venezuela’s remaining dictatorship appears to be yielding to U.S. pressure regarding security, foreign policy and the economy. They are willing to do anything — except dismantle their repressive machinery or take concrete steps toward relinquishing power.
Venezuela recently withdrew from the International Criminal Court, claiming the body is biased and infringes upon national sovereignty. With this move, the regime has managed to curry favor with the U.S. It is also attempting to evade accusations of crimes against humanity committed over decades of oppression.
Despite the regime’s maneuvers, promises and lies, only 23 percent of the population in Venezuela approves Rodríguez’s performance in government with at least 71 percent holding negative views. The message is clear: Venezuelans want real change, not half-measures.
The Trump administration succeeded in capturing and extraditing one of Latin America’s most brutal dictators; now, it is time to finish the job. It is imperative to free all political prisoners, dismantle the repressive system and guarantee free, fair and transparent elections.
Without democracy and freedom there will never be prosperity in Venezuela, just a new face from an old dictatorship.
Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University’s Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course.
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