A chronological record of Venezuela's political news
Elections, institutions and the struggle for power in Venezuela.
Chavismo and the opposition agreed on August 12, 2026, at the close of the first US-backed dialogue round, to renew the entire Supreme Court bench through a new nomination process. They also agreed to jointly seek the recovery of Venezuelan gold held at the Bank of England.
VenAmérica said on June 28, 2026, that the State failed to respond to a national tragedy and demanded that those now in government step down to make way for a National Emergency Transitional Government, and called for peaceful civic protest.
Acting president Delcy Rodríguez replaced Vladimir Padrino López, defense minister for over 11 years, with General Gustavo González López, former head of the Sebin and DGCIM intelligence services, who is sanctioned by the US, Canada and Switzerland over human rights violations. Human rights advocates criticized the appointment.
Donald Trump announced on January 3, 2026, that US forces had captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and taken them out of Venezuela after a large-scale military operation. Delcy Rodríguez, then vice president, said she did not know their whereabouts and demanded proof of life.
On the first anniversary of the July 28, 2024, presidential election, Voluntad Popular said Edmundo González’s victory “lives on in every struggle” despite the Maduro regime’s refusal to recognize it, and reaffirmed its commitment to a democratic transition.
In a statement, Voluntad Popular said it stands with Venezuelans in their decision not to take part in Nicolás Maduro’s next “electoral farce,” recalling the July 28 presidential vote and the empty voting centers of May 25.
Voluntad Popular said on May 25, 2025, that the low turnout in the regional and legislative elections called by Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which it calls an “electoral farce,” was an act of collective disobedience by Venezuelans.
The academies of history, economic sciences, and legal and political sciences of Zulia State said on January 28, 2025, that the January 10 swearing-in of Nicolás Maduro breached the Constitution and electoral laws, and called on Venezuelans to uphold the Constitution.
Nicolás Maduro was sworn in on January 10, 2025, for a third consecutive six-year term, declared winner of the July 28 election by the electoral council and the Supreme Court. The opposition says its tally sheets show Edmundo González Urrutia won. The outlet says Machado was briefly held the day before; the government denies it.
