CARACAS — A group of Republican and Democratic US senators called for elections in Venezuela on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen introduced a resolution reaffirming US support for elections in Venezuela.

The measure demands the release of political prisoners and accountability for violence against candidates. The resolution states that anyone, including senior government figures, should be punished if they are responsible for harming anyone seeking public office.

"The people of Venezuela deserve free, fair, and transparent elections, and it is vital to the national security interests of the United States that those elections occur expeditiously," Cruz said. Shaheen said authorities in Caracas must release all political prisoners and allow all political actors, including Machado, to safely return and participate in political activity.

The official record states that on August 4, 2026, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced a bipartisan resolution reaffirming America's support for free and fair elections in Venezuela, with co-sponsors including U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV). The resolution has five other co-sponsors, four Democrats and one Republican.

This legislative action comes as Venezuela's government is now led by acting President Delcy Rodriguez. The call for elections occurred seven months after the Trump administration removed then-President Nicolas Maduro and installed his vice president as acting president.

Talks between Venezuela's interim government and a faction of the opposition are set to begin in the coming days without Maria Corina Machado. US officials say Machado does not have enough support to lead the country. Trump has denied media reports that his administration told Machado not to return.

Machado had been living mostly in hiding since a contested 2024 presidential election. Authorities said Nicolas Maduro won the presidential election held two years prior to July 28, 2026. According to the Venezuelan government, Nicolas Maduro is still the de jure president of Venezuela despite being de facto removed from power.

Maria Corina Machado left Venezuela late last year to receive her Nobel Peace Prize. Maria Corina Machado presented her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump after the 2026 U.S. strikes in Venezuela and capture of Maduro. Machado has vowed to return to help with the response to June's twin earthquakes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Venezuela would need freedom of the press, multi-party participation, national reconciliation, and an electoral commission that would accurately count votes to hold fair elections.

Why It Matters

The bipartisan resolution links the timing of Venezuelan elections directly to U.S. national security interests, framing political stability there as a strategic priority for Washington. By demanding accountability for violence against candidates and the release of prisoners, the measure sets specific conditions for legitimacy that complicate ongoing talks excluding key opposition figure Maria Corina Machado. This legislative push occurs seven months after a change in Venezuela's leadership, establishing a formal U.S. stance on who may participate in the country's future governance.