Venezuela · Politics
Venezuela’s acting government and the opposition’s 2015 National Assembly opened a fourth round of US-backed talks in a Caracas hotel on Friday, 13 November 2026, with the doors closed to the press. The negotiators are trying to clear the road to a presidential election that Washington says it wants, ideally, in 2027.
Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly and a leader of the governing chavista camp, leads the government side, and Dinorah Figuera, a former lawmaker, heads the opposition delegation. The round is expected to last about a week, and it may run longer.
Key Facts
—What. The fourth round of US-backed talks between Venezuela’s acting government and the opposition opened in Caracas on 13 November 2026
—Who. Jorge Rodríguez leads the government team; Dinorah Figuera leads the opposition team
—On the table. A new Supreme Court (TSJ), a new electoral council (CNE), laws used to bar candidates, and possibly political prisoners
—Next. About one week of closed-door talks, possibly longer
—Prediction markets. Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, prices a Venezuelan presidential election being scheduled by 30 June 2027 at 50.5% and by 31 December 2027 at 57% (as of 6:19 a.m. ET, 14 November)
—As of. 14 November 2026, 11:19 GMT
—Power Index. Venezuela ranks 12th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 29.4 points (November 2026 edition).
What We Know
The talks are being held at the Gran Meliá, a hotel in central Caracas, and only photographers were admitted to the opening. The government team includes lawmaker Jorge Arreaza, and the opposition team includes Juan Miguel Matheus and Sergio Vergara.
The talks began in August and continued in September and October, and earlier rounds agreed on a process to renew the Supreme Court and on efforts to recover Venezuelan gold held abroad. Our coverage of the September restart is in talks on courts and the vote.
What Is on the Table
Negotiators are expected to turn to the National Electoral Council, known as the CNE, which organises Venezuelan elections. Its renewal comes first in the US-backed road map for an election, and no agreement on it has been announced.
Other items are the laws used to bar opposition figures from office, including Machado, and the release of political prisoners. Foro Penal, a Venezuelan human-rights group, counted 321 political prisoners as of 9 November 2026 (Foro Penal).
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Why the Electoral Council Comes First
Under the US-backed road map, the presidency would be declared permanently vacant once new CNE members are named. That would open a six-month window to call a presidential election, so the order of the reforms decides how early a vote can happen.
Rubio, the US Secretary of State, said earlier this month in a newspaper interview that elections could “ideally” take place in 2027 but gave no guarantee. Our report on his 2027 remarks has the details.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, traders put 50.5% on a Venezuelan presidential election being scheduled by 30 June 2027 and 57% by 31 December 2027, as of 6:19 a.m. ET on 14 November. The whole multi-date market has traded about US$679,000, but the two 2027 contracts trade thinly, so the prices are a rough guide (Polymarket market page).
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 Is Not Known
Nothing has been announced about results of the round, and the talks are closed to reporters. A timetable for naming new CNE members has not been published, and no date for an election has been set.
What to Watch
The round is expected to end after about a week, around 20 November (date not confirmed by the delegations). The judicial nominations committee of the National Assembly is due to present its shortlist for the Supreme Court to the full Assembly on 11 December (date not confirmed with the Assembly).
What It Means for You
For US readers, the talks decide how fast Washington’s preferred path can move: new courts and a new electoral council first, and a vote after. Investors who follow Venezuelan debt or oil sanctions will watch the same sequence.
More Venezuela coverage is on our Venezuela news hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fourth round of Venezuela’s talks?
It is a new session of US-backed negotiations between Venezuela’s acting government and the opposition’s 2015 National Assembly. It opened in Caracas on Friday, 13 November 2026.
Who is negotiating for each side?
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, leads the government. Dinorah Figuera, a former lawmaker, heads the opposition delegation.
When could Venezuela hold a presidential election?
No date is set. Rubio said elections could “ideally” come in 2027, and Polymarket traders price a vote being scheduled by the end of 2027 at 57%.
Sources
Primary sources: Foro Penal, count of political prisoners as of 9 November 2026; Polymarket, market page read 14 November 2026; statements by Dinorah Figuera and Jorge Rodríguez on 13 November 2026; remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, early November 2026.
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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