Venezuela Says All Parties Can Join Election

Politics: Venezuela

Venezuela’s new foreign minister, Oliver Blanco, said in an interview reported on Monday, 9 November 2026 that all political forces will be able to take part in the country’s elections. He gave no date and did not say whether opposition leader María Corina Machado may run.

The question matters to US readers because Washington is pressing Caracas for a path to free elections. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The New York Times on 5 November that a vote in 2027 would ideally be the goal, according to elDiario’s weekly review.

Blanco, named by acting president Delcy Rodríguez on 29 October, promised open participation but left Machado’s 15-year political ban and the election date unanswered.

What Happened

In an interview with Spain’s newspaper El Mundo, reported by elDiario, a Venezuelan news site, on 9 November, Blanco spoke of “un horizonte electoral donde todas las fuerzas podrán participar”, meaning a vote open to all political forces Asked about a date, he said: “No me corresponde a mí establecer una fecha.”

He added that Machado had no impediment to returning to Venezuela, according to elDiario’s account. The same account does not report any answer on her eligibility as a candidate.

Why It Matters

Machado, the conservative opposition leader, was barred from the 2024 race after the Supreme Court (TSJ) upheld a 15-year ban from the state comptroller on Friday, 26 January 2024.

What Prediction Markets Say

Polymarket, a crypto betting platform, prices a Venezuelan presidential election scheduled by 31 March 2027 at 36%, with US$7,090 traded in that market and US$676,846 across all its deadline markets (9 November 2026, 12:11 ET). Its separate winner market, with US$71,357 traded, puts Machado at 68.5%.

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 Happens Next

Blanco said a new TSJ should be in place this year, after which the National Electoral Council (CNE), the electoral authority, would be reviewed. A dialogue table with the National Assembly elected in 2015 announced on 3 November a council to vet Supreme Court candidates.

More on this topic: Venezuela Names New Foreign Minister and Machado Cites 3 US Steps to Venezuela Vote. For the wider picture, see our country coverage.

What Is Not Known

No official election date exists in any source we opened. Whether Machado’s ban will be lifted before any vote is also unknown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can María Corina Machado run for president?

The ruling that bars her for 15 years was upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday, 26 January 2024. We found no official statement lifting it, and Blanco was not quoted on her candidacy.

Has Venezuela set an election date?

No. Blanco said in an interview reported on 9 November that it is not for him to set a date, and no official source we opened gives one.