Venezuela opposition renews support for Machado

Venezuela’s opposition Unitary Democratic Platform renewed its support for María Corina Machado as its leader at a meeting in Caracas on October 18, while calling for a democratic transition and free elections without setting a date for a vote. The coalition’s agreement outlined 14 proposals, including protections for political parties, the release of political prisoners, measures to safeguard human rights and the safe return of Venezuelans who have gone into exile. It also called for a peaceful transition and competitive elections. The document did not specify when elections should take place, and Venezuelan authorities have not announced a date for a new presidential vote. Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is living in Panama, participated in the meeting virtually, according to one account. Her party, Vente Venezuela, says authorities have blocked at least seven attempts by her to return to the country. That claim has not been independently corroborated in the supplied reporting. Machado has been in exile since leaving Venezuela to receive the prize. The coalition’s declaration comes as the interim government and opposition representatives hold talks on political...