Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez told the United Nations General Assembly that the country will hold elections as part of an orderly transition to full democracy, but she did not provide a date or timetable. She said talks with opposition groups had begun, all political forces would receive equal participation, and national institutions were being prepared for the vote. The opposition considers an autonomous Supreme Court and National Electoral Council essential to calling elections. Rodriguez’s address was the first in-person appearance by a Venezuelan head of state at the assembly since 2018. She came to power after American forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas earlier this year, and has since transferred substantial authority to Washington, which controls Venezuela’s finances and significant parts of its resources. Rodriguez praised a recent oil deal with the United States, called for a reset in international relations and advocated dialogue with neighboring Guyana over their territorial dispute. She briefly met US President Donald Trump on Tuesday as Washington pressed for political change and discussed restructuring Venezuela’s billions of dollars in sovereign debt. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the process must culminate in a free and fair election, while Washington has said Venezuela should first stabilize and recover economically. Prominent opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been absent from the talks and, according to her political committee, has been blocked seven times from returning to Venezuela after leaving late last year to receive her Nobel Peace Prize. Rodriguez said economic recovery would take time and asked for international support as the country moved from uncertainty and conflict toward full democracy.