Venezuela’s long-awaited elections could be delayed until late 2027 or even longer as the interim government prepares to overhaul key judicial and electoral institutions, according to political sources and analysts cited by Reuters.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said at the United Nations General Assembly this week that Venezuelan institutions were preparing for elections and that her government had opened talks with opposition groups. She also pledged full political participation but did not provide a timetable for the vote.

Five political sources and analysts told Reuters that significant obstacles remain, including difficult institutional reforms and what they described as limited urgency in Washington to push for an immediate election.

Two sources close to the political talks said an election was unlikely to take place before the end of next year.

A major part of the proposed reform involves replacing all 32 judges of Venezuela’s Supreme Court and the five directors of the National Electoral Council, the country’s main electoral authority. Opposition groups and international rights organizations have long questioned the independence of both institutions and have disputed the legitimacy of elections held under former President Nicolas Maduro.

The institutional changes are being discussed as part of US-backed negotiations between Rodriguez’s interim government and a faction of the opposition.

Even after a new electoral council is appointed, authorities would still need to update voter rolls, ensure political parties can participate and resolve basic questions about how the election would be conducted, including whether voting would be manual or electronic.

Oswaldo Martinez of Caracas-based consultancy ORC said the process of reorganizing the electoral system alone could take up to a year, according to two sources familiar with the talks.

The United States has also emphasized the need for economic and social stability as part of any political transition. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that an elected government would face serious challenges if it inherited a severe economic and social crisis.

Critics of Washington’s approach argue that the United States has placed greater emphasis on economic stability, oil and investment agreements than on securing a rapid return to competitive elections.

Last month, President Donald Trump announced a major US effort involving Venezuela’s oil reserves. Analysts cited by Reuters said the focus on economic arrangements with Rodriguez’s interim government could contribute to further delays in the electoral process.

Risa Grais-Targow, Latin America director at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, said the combination of economic priorities and institutional reforms suggested elections might not be held until late 2027 at the earliest, although she said the process could take even longer.

The opposition has also faced internal and political challenges. Maria Corina Machado, one of Venezuela’s best-known opposition leaders and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been absent from talks with the interim government, while efforts for her to return to Venezuela have been obstructed.

Some US lawmakers have called for elections and argued that Washington has not obtained sufficient democratic concessions from Rodriguez’s government.

Nicholas Watson of consultancy Teneo said economic normalization and stability, including US commercial participation, appeared to be receiving significant attention from both Washington and Caracas. He described the political transition as a longer-term and open-ended process.

The competing priorities have left the timing of Venezuela’s promised elections uncertain, with institutional reforms, electoral preparations and negotiations between the government, opposition and international actors still unresolved.

SOURCE: Reuters, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas and Anthony Esposito, September 26, 2026.