Opposition in limbo as democracy remains a distant goal

As the harsh reality sets in that Venezuela's authoritarian regime remains essentially unchanged even without Nicolás Maduro, activists who have spent years fighting for the country's return to democracy are unsure about what the next steps should be.

- Tiago Rogero

They agree that the country should very soon either hold new elections or install the retired diplomat Edmundo González - widely believed to have won the 2024 election - but neither option appears to be on the White House's agenda at the moment.

After capturing Maduro and taking control of Venezuela’s oil, Donald Trump could have chosen to install González - whose victory the opposition has demonstrated through collected tally sheets - but instead decided to leave the former dictator’s entire cabinet in charge of the country, claiming it would now operate under White House oversight.

Yet despite US assertions that the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has so far been playing along, repression continues. Armed militias continue to patrol the streets and search people’s mobile phones; a group of teenagers was detained for allegedly celebrating Maduro’s capture and only released a week later; and despite the regime’s promise of a “mass” release of political prisoners, nearly 1,000 people remain behind bars for having dared to criticise or protest against the regime.