Rubio Outlines Three-Phase Transition Plan for Venezuela

(MENAFN) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a House committee on Wednesday that Venezuela must go through a structured three-stage transition process—stabilization, recovery, and elections—before it can hold what he described as genuinely free and fair voting, according to reports.

Rubio said the process would follow a sequence in which political and institutional conditions are first rebuilt, rather than immediately setting an election date.

“The Venezuela that everyone wants for the future is not possible without free and fair elections,” Rubio said, while noting that no fixed timeline can be announced until key foundations are in place.

He explained that the recovery phase would require major institutional changes, including the creation of an independent press, the reorganization of political parties, and the establishment of a new electoral authority to oversee future voting.

Rubio urged patience regarding timing, arguing that rebuilding the country’s political system cannot be rushed and that even a period of several months is insufficient to restore stability after what he described as national trauma.

“five months is not a long time” for a nation to recover from trauma, he said, adding that holding elections without proper infrastructure would not produce legitimate results.

He reiterated that the administration’s long-term objective remains the same: a transition toward multiparty elections once conditions are met.

“Ultimately Venezuela's future is free and fair multiparty elections,” he said, according to the report.

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