Representatives of the last democratically elected parliament in Venezuela will begin talks in August with members of the nation’s socialist regime toward restoring electoral conditions in the country, both sides announced Tuesday.
Venezuela has not had a free election since the December 2015 legislative elections. At the time, Venezuelan voters elected new members of the National Assembly for the 2015-2020 period that resulted in a two-thirds majority for the Venezuelan opposition. However, the Venezuelan socialist regime, at the time led by dictator Nicolás Maduro, used its complete control of every other institution and court in the country to rapidly strip it of its majority and render all of its acts null and void, effectively preventing them from acting against the Maduro regime.
The opposition lawmakers faced a litany of actions that further left them powerless throughout their five-year term until they were ultimately ousted by a new socialist-controlled parliament in a sham 2020 election. Many of its members — including its last appointed leader, Dinorah Figuera – went into exile abroad. Although the opposition-led parliament was ousted over five years ago, the U.S. State Department pointed out in June that it remains the last internationally recognized democratically elected entity in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan regime held another sham parliamentary election in 2025, resulting in an overwhelming majority for the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and minimal “opposition” representation. Presently, the Venezuelan National Assembly is led by Jorge Rodríguez, brother of “acting President” Delcy Rodríguez.
On Tuesday, the institutional remnants of the 2015 parliament released a statement announcing that, starting on August 1, it will launch a joint agenda with the Venezuelan regime “conceived as a roadmap to promote stability, democracy, and national recovery.”
The ousted parliament described the upcoming date as the beginning of a new phase “that will pave the way for a Venezuela defined by progress and freedoms.”
“This agenda will prioritize the strengthening of democratic institutions and the electoral system, as well as the restoration of guarantees for political participation,” the statement read in part.
The “2015 parliament,” as it is commonly referred to in Venezuela, said that the ongoing emergency caused by the deadly June 24 doublet earthquake highlights the importance of acting in unity — noting that the United States’ humanitarian aid has reaffirmed that “Venezuela is not alone.”
“We reaffirm our commitment to advancing this roadmap through technical and institutional work to contribute to the country’s reconstruction,” the text read in part.
“We express our gratitude to the United States government for its steadfast support of the Venezuelan people, both in the immediate response to the humanitarian emergency and in its backing of efforts aimed at the country’s recovery, the consolidation of stability, and the strengthening of Venezuela’s democratic institutions,” the statement concluded.
International outlets reported that the statement appears to have the support of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who retweeted the opposition’s statement on his own personal Twitter account.
Hours later, Jorge Rodríguez published a similar, yet shorter statement confirming the start of the joint work agenda with the ousted parliament on August 1 to face the aftermath of the dual earthquakes and to “strengthen democracy.”
Tuesday’s announcements occur weeks after Figuera traveled to Caracas after eight years and met with Jorge Rodríguez — an encounter that occurred under the auspices of the U.S. State Department. Figuera, who has been living in Spain since 2018, told the BBC in June that she traveled to her country after the State Department invited her to negotiate with the Venezuelan regime toward the establishment of a new “credible” electoral authority in the country.
Following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January, the Venezuelan regime, now led by Delcy Rodríguez, began collaborating with the United States toward the implementation of President Donald Trump and Sec. Rubio’s three-phase — stabilization, recovery, and transition toward democracy — plan for Venezuela.
Speaking with Venezuelan journalist Luis Olavarrieta on Tuesday evening, Figuera detailed that, on August 1, both sides will disclose the names of the respective ten members that will form part of the talks. Figuera said both sides will discuss the required legal reforms toward a democratic transition process, restoring the participation of Venezuelan political parties, and free elections in the country.
The talks, Figuera further detailed, will also touch upon ensuring freedom of speech in Venezuela and reforms for the National Electoral Council (CNE), the nation’s top electoral authority and an institution that for years has been under the control of the socialist regime.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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