CARACAS/MARACAY, Venezuela — Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets on Thursday in the first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years, demanding free elections and broader political change in a country where no election date has yet been set.

The United States has been working closely with the interim government led by acting President Delcy Rodriguez since US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro in January. Both US President Donald Trump and Rodriguez, Maduro's former deputy, have said elections will take place, but neither has set a date for a legislative vote or a national presidential contest.

Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has been outside the country for nearly a year after living in hiding following the contested 2024 election, has said elections must be held by July 2027.

Her Vente Venezuela movement organized the protest, which took place in the capital, Caracas, as well as cities including Valencia, Maracay, San Cristobal and Maracaibo.

"Seeing this makes me happy because I know change is possible," said Leosmary Hernandez, an 18-year-old cosmetology student who joined hundreds of others in northern Maracay. "I've been through so many hardships, so many problems because of the dollar, and difficulties studying. I have high hopes for my country and for our next leader, president, Maria Corina."

"I went out to protest before, when things were much tougher, and I'm even less afraid today because I want my voice to be heard," she added as music boomed around protesters waving Venezuelan flags.

Rival march in Caracas

Venezuela's socialist movement, in power since 1999 under late President Hugo Chavez and then Maduro, has in the past deployed security forces against protesters decrying political repression, dizzying inflation, poor public services and other problems in the economically battered country, including after the 2024 presidential election.

The ruling Socialist Party called on its supporters to march from Caracas' Plaza Venezuela — the same spot where the opposition planned to gather two hours later — to a location near the presidential palace to commemorate breast cancer awareness month.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, known for his close ties to the security services, was pictured on state television attending the march, while opposition supporters moved their protest to a nearby location.

Negotiations continue

US-backed talks between a faction of the opposition and the interim government, aimed at remaking the top court and the electoral council with an eye toward ensuring fairness at eventual elections, held their latest session this month, though changes could take significant time. The negotiations do not include Machado's political movement, although she has said she will not stand in the way of their progress.

According to vote tallies released by the opposition, Machado's proxy roundly won the 2024 election. But the government, which never released full counts, backed Maduro, as did the country's legal and electoral institutions.

Amid the arrests of some of her closest collaborators, Machado went into hiding. Her last public appearance in Venezuela came at protests marking Maduro's third inauguration in January 2025, where she was briefly detained.

Machado has for years sought US support, aligning with hawks in the Trump team who argued that Maduro — through links to drug gangs — represented a direct threat to US national security. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are facing drug and torture charges in the United States. They have pleaded not guilty.

Trump, however, has repeatedly praised Rodriguez's management and her willingness to welcome US investors, saying last month that it is too soon to consider elections.

Machado's desire to return home, especially after devastating twin earthquakes in June, has caused friction in Washington, with US officials asking her to delay her trip, Reuters has reported.

Calls to release political prisoners

Demonstrators also called for the release of prisoners they say are held for political reasons.

Foro Penal, a legal rights group that represents opposition figures and others who have been detained, often on charges such as treason, says there are still more than 320 political prisoners in Venezuela, despite releases that took place under an amnesty law backed by the legislature earlier this year. The government has repeatedly denied holding political prisoners and says the amnesty is generous.

— Reuters