Politics: Venezuela
Published Tuesday, 10 November 2026 · Source: remarks by President Donald Trump, 9 November 2026; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Polymarket
President Donald Trump said on Monday, 9 November 2026, that the United States is “totally in charge” of Venezuela and that elections will take place “at some point”. He gave no date and no conditions for a vote.
His comments came days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said elections could “ideally” be held in 2027. Washington’s public timetable and the president’s remarks still do not add up to a date.
Key Facts
- What. Trump says the US is “totally in charge” of Venezuela, in remarks on 9 November.
- Elections. Trump says a vote will take place “at some point”, with no date or conditions.
- Roadmap. Rubio says a vote could “ideally” come in 2027, after a new court and electoral council.
- Prediction markets. Polymarket, a prediction market, gives 33.5% that an election is scheduled by 31 March 2027 (10 November, 2:26 a.m. ET).
- Power Index. Venezuela ranks 12th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 29.4 points (November 2026 edition).
Trump says the US is running Venezuela and that a vote will come eventually, but neither he nor Washington has named a date.
In plain English
The US captured Venezuela’s former president, Nicolás Maduro, on 3 January 2026. Delcy Rodríguez, who leads the government as acting president, now deals with Washington on oil and on the path to an election.
What Trump Said
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said: “We’re much in charge. We’re totally in charge and getting along well.”
He added that the US is getting along very well with the Venezuelan government. On elections, he said they will take place “at some point”, without a date, a timetable or conditions.
He also said big oil companies are now in Venezuela and that millions of barrels of oil are coming in every week, which are the president’s own claims.
How This Fits His Earlier Remarks
After Maduro’s capture in January, Trump said the US would run Venezuela and that elections would come later. On 2 November he told a television interviewer that the US has “total control” of the country.
The 9 November answer keeps the same open-ended line. A vote is coming, but not on a clock.
What Washington Says Must Happen First
Rubio said on 5 November that elections could “ideally” be held in 2027, but he would not guarantee a vote before Trump’s term ends. He listed reforms that must come first: replacing the Supreme Court and the electoral council, reforming the security forces and restructuring national debt.
US-backed talks between the interim government and the opposition are expected to produce a reformed court by mid-December. Our earlier reports cover Rubio’s court timetable and his 2027 election goal.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a prediction market where users bet real money, gives 33.5% that a Venezuelan presidential election is scheduled by 31 March 2027, and 7.5% by 31 December 2026. About US$677,000 has been traded on the event as a whole, including dates that have expired; prices are bets, not polls, and were read at 2:26 a.m. Eastern Time on 10 November 2026.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the practical questions are who signs off on oil deals and when Venezuelan voters get a say. Trump’s words add a date to neither, so the court appointments expected in mid-December remain the first real test.
Venezuelan-Americans and oil investors should treat “in charge” as a political claim, not a legal one. Dates and decisions are what to watch.
What Is Not Known
Trump gave no election date, and none exists. It is also unclear who will sit on the new Supreme Court and electoral council.
More: Venezuela news in English; Trump’s 2 November “total control” claim; opposition leader María Corina Machado’s three US steps to a vote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Trump say about Venezuela on 9 November?
He said the US is “totally in charge” of Venezuela and that elections will take place “at some point”. He gave no date or conditions.
Has Venezuela set an election date?
No. Rubio said on 5 November that a vote could “ideally” come in 2027 after the Supreme Court and the electoral council are replaced.
Who is running Venezuela day to day?
Delcy Rodríguez leads the government as acting president. Trump has said the US is in charge of the country.
When could Venezuela get a new Supreme Court?
US-backed talks between the interim government and the opposition are expected to produce a reformed court by mid-December 2026.
Sources: remarks by President Donald Trump at the White House, 9 November 2026 (transcript); remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 5 November 2026; Polymarket, 10 November 2026, polymarket.com.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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