Caracas (theassemblymedia.com) — Venezuela’s recently appointed foreign affairs minister, Oliver Blanco, said the nation is undergoing a “democratic transformation process.”
This process is being mapped out through dialogue with the US-backed opposition in order to reform institutions, stabilize the economy and open the country’s international relations.
“The process of democratic transformation has an electoral horizon in which all forces will be able to participate, where the result must be respected by all sectors, with a trustworthy National Electoral Council (CNE),” Blanco said in an interview with El Mundo.
Blanco said the process began early this year with the launch of the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence, which aims to foster political dialogue and national reconciliation across all sectors of society. Soon afterward, the National Assembly (AN) approved an amnesty bill that released more than 1,000 people imprisoned in connection with political offenses and benefited another 8,000 who were under court-ordered supervision.
The diplomat emphasized that there have been “no politically motivated arrests” of any kind this year. He added that many opposition leaders have returned in recent months and that more than 38 news websites have been unblocked. The most high-profile return was that of far-right leader María Corina Machado. She is currently banned from running for office for 15 years because of her role in calling for Western sanctions and military intervention.
“There was nothing stopping her [Machado] from coming back […] The atmosphere that is taking shape is truly a process of democratic transformation,” Blanco told the outlet.
In January, the Trump administration launched a military assault on Caracas and abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, congresswoman Cilia Flores, on charges of “narcoterrorism” that remain unproven. Maduro was serving a third term after the 2024 election, whose results the United States did not recognize.
UN bodies condemned the abduction as a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and head-of-state immunity. Maduro’s forced absence led Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president. Her administration has since restored relations with the United States, while Venezuela’s oil industry remains under de facto US control.
Transformation, Not Transition
The 35-year-old foreign minister did not provide a date for the elections and avoided using the word “transition,” focusing on a structural reform of Venezuela’s political and economic life achieved by all political sectors. This is a process that takes time and dialogue.
In August, the government of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez began negotiations with representatives of the opposition-majority National Assembly (AN) elected in 2015, whose term ended in 2020. The delegations are led by AN president Jorge Rodríguez and former lawmaker Dinorah Figuera on the opposition side.
The defunct AN is regarded by Washington as Venezuela’s last legitimate institution. The White House has consistently refused to recognize the results of any elections that favored Nicolás Maduro’s government and the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV), including the 2024 presidential vote.
“The talks will lead us to have a new Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) this same year. Subsequently, the National Electoral Council (CNE) will be reviewed, along with the guarantees for political participation for all actors and the mechanisms for internal democracy within political parties,” Blanco said in the interview.
On November 2, Blanco met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, raising speculation about the possibility of setting an electoral date. However, the Venezuelan top diplomat stated that the discussions centered on ongoing institutional reforms to create conditions for an electoral process.
For his part, Rubio said that he “would expect” a vacancy to be declared and elections to be held once judicial and electoral reforms are completed. However, in a recent statement to the New York Times, Rubio clarified that he does not foresee elections happening before 2029. President Donald Trump has been more evasive, stating on Monday that he expects elections “at some point.”
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has repeatedly stated that the Venezuelan people will decide the electoral dates. She has also insisted that the removal of all economic sanctions imposed by Washington is necessary to ensure a democratic election and sustained economic recovery.
Delcy’s ‘Trusted Representative’
Asked about his role in Venezuela’s political transition, Blanco described himself as the acting president’s “trusted representative,” tasked with helping restore the country’s ties with the world and encourage dialogue within Venezuelans who hold different political views. He said he has no personal political ambitions and believes in a future “beyond political ideologies.”
“From the outset, I was responsible for managing relations with the United States,” he said. He cited oil agreements, regional security, and cooperation on efforts to restore Venezuela’s electricity system and recover Venezuelan assets abroad frozen under US sanctions.
Blanco began his political career as youth secretary of Acción Democrática (AD), a social democratic party. He now says he is not aligned with any political party, describing himself as “someone who believes in democracy, social inclusion, youth and workers’ rights, private property, and the free market.”
“I believe Venezuela’s transformation is being shaped by Venezuelans themselves, though, of course, it is heavily influenced by outside actors,” Blanco said.