Protesters call for elections
Venezuelan opposition supporters renewed demands for elections following the conclusion of a third round of political reconciliation talks. ABC Color reported that demonstrators marched from western Caracas and gathered in a city square on Thursday, accompanied by figures from the Democratic Unitary Platform, human rights activists and members of María Corina Machado’s Vente Venezuela party.
At the end of the demonstration, Vente Venezuela alleged that seven people responsible for sound trucks used during the protest had been detained and called for their release. The report did not provide an official account of the alleged detentions.
US outlines progress from talks
In an October 22 statement, the US State Department welcomed the completion of talks between Venezuela’s 2015 National Assembly, led by Dinorah Figuera, and what it called the interim government. The department said participants agreed to work on reviewing and revising several laws it described as repressive, with the stated aim of expanding political and social freedoms and allowing participation by all political actors.
The State Department separately said the process had advanced efforts to rebuild an independent Supreme Court and was moving toward the selection of 32 new judges. ABC Color reported that Venezuela’s parliament, where government-aligned lawmakers hold a majority, swore in 12 civil society representatives who will join 11 lawmakers on a committee evaluating candidates for the Supreme Court.
No election timetable agreed
ABC Color reported that the three rounds of talks had not produced a concrete agreement on holding elections. Figuera said on Wednesday that Venezuela’s principal demand was a presidential election, which she has proposed for 2027. Machado and opposition figure Edmundo González Urrutia are not direct participants in the negotiations but have called for the discussions to produce a timely presidential election schedule.