Thousands of Venezuelans filled the streets of Caracas, Valencia, Maracay, San Cristobal and Maracaibo on Thursday, marking the first nationwide opposition demonstration in almost two years. Participants called for free elections and broader political reforms, echoing demands that have persisted since the contested 2024 vote.

Opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has lived abroad since early 2024, said elections must be held by July 2027. Her Vente Venezuela movement organized the rallies, which began in the capital before spreading to other urban centers. "Seeing this makes me happy because I know change is possible," said 18‑year‑old cosmetology student Leosmary Hernandez, who joined the crowd in northern Maracay. "I’ve faced many hardships because of the dollar and difficulties studying. I have high hopes for my country and for our next leader, Maria Corina."

The protest unfolded with little visible security presence. In several smaller cities demonstrators dispersed before nightfall, while the ruling Socialist Party staged a separate march from Plaza Venezuela toward a site near the presidential palace to observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared on state television attending the government‑sponsored march.

Since January 3, interim President Delcy Rodriguez of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) has headed the government after former President Nicolas Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in a military raid. The United States has maintained an active role in Venezuela, exerting influence over oil resources and pressing the Rodriguez administration for reforms. US President Donald Trump has publicly backed Rodriguez’s leadership, despite her former position as Maduro’s vice president.

Human‑rights groups have accused PSUV leaders of arbitrary arrests, imprisonment and torture of political dissidents. The United Nations has warned that recent U.S. strikes on alleged drug‑smuggling vessels could constitute crimes against humanity.

Negotiations between a faction of the opposition and the interim government, mediated by the United States, are ongoing. These talks aim to restructure the top court and electoral council ahead of future elections, though they do not involve Machado’s movement. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, Machado’s proxy, claims to have won the 2024 election based on opposition‑compiled vote tallies, while the government maintains that Maduro emerged victorious and has never released full vote counts.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face drug‑related and torture charges in the United States; both have pleaded not guilty.