Venezuela’s government and opposition begin U.S.-backed political talks

Jul 31, 2026

U.S.-backed negotiations between Venezuela's interim government and an opposition faction led by Dinorah Figuera begin on August 1, 2026, following the January capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. While the talks aim to reform the electoral council and supreme court, prominent opposition leader María Corina Machado is excluded. The U.S. holds significant leverage due to Maduro's detention in New York and Venezuela's reliance on U.S. markets for recovery after devastating June earthquakes.

U.S.-backed Venezuela negotiations

▪The Venezuelan government delegation will be led by National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, while the opposition delegation will be led by Dinorah Figuera.
▪U.S.-backed negotiations between Venezuela's interim government and a segment of the opposition are scheduled to begin on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

U.S. leverage over regime

▪The United States holds leverage over the Venezuelan regime because Nicolás Maduro is detained in New York facing criminal charges, and the interim government depends on U.S. markets for economic recovery following devastating June 24, 2026, earthquakes.
▪The negotiations follow the January 2026 capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by United States forces.

Opposition institutional priorities

▪Dinorah Figuera, representing the 2015 National Assembly, aims to develop an institutional agenda that transcends the interests of individual political groups.
▪The Venezuelan opposition delegation aims to overhaul the country's electoral council and top court to establish conditions for free and fair future elections.

Machado exclusion from talks

▪María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia stated they were not involved in the design, development, or operation of the talks, but pledged not to obstruct real progress.
▪Prominent Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado is not participating in the August 1, 2026, negotiations.

Interim government cooperation shift

▪Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has overseen key concessions to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, including opening Venezuela's state-owned oil industry to foreign companies.
▪Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who faces a U.S. drug-trafficking indictment and a $25 million bounty, has maintained quiet contact and cooperation with U.S. officials in Caracas.