The long-awaited democratization of Venezuela appears to have begun on the night of January 3, when U.S. special forces stormed the stronghold where dictator Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were sleeping soundly.

However, the definitive light at the end of that tunnel has yet to appear. With the midterm elections approaching, the Trump administration would score a major victory within the Hispanic community if it forced the acting dictator, Delcy Rodríguez, to set a firm date for a transparent electoral process — one that allows for the return of exiles and opposition candidates.

Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio (R) has backed this idea. He recently urged that July 24, 2027, be set as the official date for free presidential elections in the South American nation, arguing that the process is essential to completing the country’s political transition.

During an appearance on Fox News, the Republican lawmaker highlighted the proposal’s symbolic significance by aligning election day with the anniversary of Simón Bolívar’s birth. “Free and fair elections remain essential to completing the democratic transition, and under President Trump’s strong leadership, we will achieve it,” he said.

Rodríguez’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly last week seems to have focused on a similar theme. There, she announced the pillars of the process through which the South American nation would experience a “rebirth.”

“Venezuela has embarked on a process of institutional review to strengthen the functioning of the State and provide the legal certainty needed not only by domestic and international investors but also by our citizens — so that they do not feel trampled by arbitrary power, but rather see that power working in their service. Justice reform and the overhaul of the judicial system can no longer be postponed,” she stated. These remarks contained a veiled criticism of Chavista socialism.

Secondly, she promised to guarantee “real conditions for participation for all the country’s political forces. Democracy is not measured by the mere existence of elections. Democracy is measured by the quality of the competition preceding those elections. An election should be a solution, not a source of irreconcilable conflict.”

The most recent presidential election, held in 2024, faced accusations of large-scale fraud. Following Maduro’s imposition of the result, the Carter Center concluded that the outcome could not be verified, that the election failed to meet international standards, and that there was evidence of apparent result falsification. Subsequently, an analysis of available tally sheets indicated a decisive victory for opposition candidate Edmundo González.

Delcy Rodríguez continued her U.N. address by stating that “the Venezuelan people” would determine “the right moment,” and that “its institutions will be prepared to guarantee that inclusive and transparent process — for a country free from economic restrictions of any kind, ensuring its right to development.”

This litany of promises to the international community followed a meeting between Rodríguez and President Donald Trump. According to Axios, the president told her that elections should be held in the South American nation by 2028.

The key is to understand that Chavismo will not yield without a compelling reason; it will not simply restore sovereignty to the people out of the goodness of its heart. No. The White House should not trust the word of thugs who have committed barbaric acts of murder and torture to cling to power.

Following Rodríguez’s U.N. speech, Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa asserted that she was attempting to distance herself from the track record of Chavismo, and he questioned her announcement of elections without specifying a date or guarantees. In his view, if an electoral process is truly to take place, a date must be set as soon as possible.

As of today, there are no elections in Venezuela. In the United States, there are. Dictators are aware of this, and they play the game based on that schedule. Rodríguez is anticipating a potential weakening of the Trump administration’s power with the arrival of the midterm elections in November.

Washington should not dance to Caracas’s tune. Quite the opposite. Given that Trump’s term ends in 2028, scheduling elections for that year seems too far off to me. I agree with Senator Moreno: 2027 is the year. In any case, 2028 should be a year for monitoring, to ensure robust support for the newly and democratically elected government.

Not everything that sounds appealing is conducive to good politics. Delcy Rodríguez wore sequins to the U.N., yet the celebration of democracy has yet to arrive. The White House’s foreign policy would score a major victory with the Hispanic community if freedom were to come to Venezuela. To achieve that, it must not let itself be swayed by the siren songs of a deceitful regime.