Venezuela government and opposition agree to reform top court

September 26, 2026 at 09:42 PM2 min

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Venezuela's interim government and the opposition agreed on Friday to work towards reforming the Supreme Court of Justice. Both sides appointed a seven-member panel to review the selection of candidates for the court. The deal marks the first tangible step towards judicial reforms promised by interim President Delcy Rodriguez.

Key Facts

The government and opposition appointed a seven-member panel to review the selection of candidates for the Supreme Court of Justice.
The agreement was announced on Friday and is the first tangible step towards judicial reforms promised by interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
The government delegation was led by National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez, and the opposition by Dinorah Figuera, who led the bloc that won the 2015 election.
The next round of talks is scheduled for next month.

Judicial Reform Panel

Both sides said in a joint statement that they had appointed a seven-member panel to review the system used to select candidates for the court. They also agreed to continue the analysis and review of legislative instruments needed for the transformation of the judicial system. The government side was led by National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez, while the opposition was represented by Dinorah Figuera. Figuera led the opposition bloc that won Venezuela's last internationally recognised election in 2015.

Political Context

Venezuela's interim government took power after the US military abducted former President Nicolas Maduro in January. The government has brought the country into closer alignment with the US but has been slow to deliver on promises to open up the political system. Critics have compared the arrangement, which includes a deal granting the US control over large parts of Venezuela's oil reserves, to those previously imposed on oil-rich nations by colonial powers such as Great Britain. Rights groups say that the repressive apparatus of the Maduro era has also remained in place, despite promises of change from the new government.

Election Promises and Talks

Rodriguez promised elections during her speech at the United Nations General Assembly this week but offered no firm timeline. US President Donald Trump and Rodriguez met on the sidelines of UNGA, her first visit to the US since the abduction of her predecessor. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump and Rodriguez discussed restructuring billions of dollars in Venezuela's sovereign debt. Trump said on Friday that he spoke with Rodriguez about elections in the past week, but offered no further details. The government and the opposition held an initial round of talks in August, when they agreed to overhaul the judicial system and win back Venezuelan assets frozen by the Bank of England.