Venezuelan opposition coalition backs Maria Corina Machado as leader in national accord

Opposition groups in Venezuela convened in Caracas to adopt a comprehensive national accord that formally acknowledges Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado as the movement's chief, despite her exile in Panama. The Democratic Unity Platform (PUD) endorsed fourteen measures aimed at political reform, including the full release of political prisoners, the return of exiled citizens, and the elimination of restrictions on political parties.

The document also outlines a democratic roadmap intended to lead to free, competitive and verifiable general elections, though it does not specify a timetable; Machado's party has advocated for elections in 2027. The accord arrives amid a third round of negotiations between the government and a faction of the opposition, from which Machado was excluded, but she has said she will not obstruct the process. Opposition delegate Dinorah Figuera emphasized the goal of turning talks into an electoral process after 27 years of Chavist rule.