Venezuelan opposition demands elections after Maduro ouster

In a statement, the Vente party of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said that with Maduro absent from the country since his capture by US forces in a January 3 raid, "presidential elections must be called within 30 days of this declaration."

Maduro's former vice president Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president on January 5, two days after longtime socialist leader Maduro was flown out of Venezuela by US forces to face trial in New York.

He has appeared in court twice since then to answer drug trafficking charges.

The Venezuelan constitution says that "temporary absences of the president of the republic shall be filled by the executive vice president for up to 90 days, extendable by decision of the National Assembly for an additional 90 days."

"If a temporary absence lasts for more than 90 consecutive days, the National Assembly shall decide by a majority vote of its members whether it should be considered a permanent absence," says Article 234 of the constitution, which was cited by Vente.

Vente said the "entire country and the democratic international community know and can attest to" Maduro's complete absence from power.

The move comes a day after protesters calling for wage increases clashed with police in the center of Caracas, in a sign that the fear that gripped Venezuelan society under Maduro had begun to subside.

By Friday, 97 days had passed since Venezuela's authoritarian leader of 12 years was nabbed by US special forces at a military compound in Caracas, together with his wife Cilia Flores.

Caracas says that around 100 people were killed in the pre-dawn bombing raid that preceded his capture and the firefight between US forces and Maduro's security detail.

Venezuela's parliament, which has a pro-government majority, has not yet discussed calling new elections.

So far, its focus has been on rolling back state control over the economy to pave the way for more foreign investment in the critical oil and mining sectors.

The reforms are a key demand of the United States, which has been content to let Maduro's former inner circle retain power as long as it unlocks access to oil and eases state repression.
Stability first
President Donald Trump has voiced satisfaction with Rodriguez -- he has called her "terrific" -- and threatened her with a similar fate to Maduro if she does not do his bidding.

Speaking in late February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela "will need the legitimacy of democratic -- fair, democratic -- elections" but said Washington's initial priority after Maduro's capture had been to ensure stability.

Rodriguez told NBC News in mid-February that she was committed to holding free and fair elections, but the timing would be decided as part of a "political dialogue."

Maduro is accused of stealing the last presidential elections in July 2024.

The opposition's tally of votes at that time showed Machado's candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, winning by a wide margin.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed Maduro the winner without providing a detailed vote breakdown, triggering mass protests that were harshly suppressed.

Opposition parties have called for a change in the leadership of the CNE, which is accused of doing the bidding of the ruling "chavismo" movement founded by late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez, who was president from 1999 to 2013.