Thousands protest in Venezuela demanding free elections

The political party of Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition leader María Corina Machado, ‘Vente Venezuela’, organized the protests. Machado has demanded that new elections be held by July 2027. Although talks continue between the interim government and the opposition on reforming the electoral system with the support of the Trump administration, the absence of a specific electoral roadmap has led to public dissatisfaction. During the protests, the presence of security forces was limited, and no major untoward incidents were reported.