Top State Department Official Says Venezuela Needs Time to Prepare Elections After Quakes, but 'Not Too Far Off'

Michael Kozak (L), Senior official Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs for the US Department of State (Credit: Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

The United States wants Venezuela to hold democratic elections without unnecessary delay, but not before conditions exist for a credible vote, senior State Department official Michael Kozak told lawmakers Tuesday, saying Washington is seeking "the middle ground" as the country recovers from last month's earthquake.

"We don't want elections too soon, when they can't be held because many things need to be changed; but we also don't want elections too far off," Kozak, deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, told a Senate hearing. "People won't invest long-term if there's no democratic government."

Kozak said preparations for new elections require updating the voter registry, registering new voters and appointing new electoral authorities. He pointed to plans by Venezuela's 2015 National Assembly, opposition parties and interim authorities to begin election preparations on August 1.

"We want to find the middle ground," he said. "We don't want this to drag on, but we also don't want to do it in the middle of an earthquake."

#AHORA | Senador Rick Scott le dice al subsecretario Kozak que los venezolanos está perdiendo la esperanza en la administración y que Delcy Rodríguez solo compra tiempo.

Él responde:

"No queremos elecciones demasiado pronto, cuando no se puedan hacer porque hay que cambiar… pic.twitter.com/D2WWfOlFgB

— Orlando Avendaño (@OrlvndoA) July 14, 2026

Kozak also addressed questions about opposition leader María Corina Machado, rejecting suggestions that Washington opposes her return to Venezuela after she remained abroad following the earthquake.

"We don't oppose her return. We all know and admire María Corina," Kozak said. "Our position is that all those who have been in exile must be able to return. And that includes first and foremost María Corina."

Kozak said the Trump administration had tried not to "introduce a political element" into the humanitarian response, while acknowledging that Venezuela's political transition remains incomplete.

"There are still political prisoners, about 400, and all must be released," Kozak said. "There are still exiles and they still cannot return."

His remarks followed questions from Sen. Tim Kaine, who urged the administration to ensure Machado could return safely, saying the United States should press Venezuelan authorities to treat her "with the respect she deserves."

#URGENTE | Interrogan al subsecretario Kozak por el caso del regreso de María Corina a Venezuela, que fue obstaculizado. Kozak responde:

"Es correcto, no nos oponemos. Todos conocemos y admiramos a María Corina. Nosotros no nos oponemos a su regreso. Ella no es una prisionera.… pic.twitter.com/evYQf4uJSD

— Orlando Avendaño (@OrlvndoA) July 14, 2026

Machado has sought to return to Venezuela for months. According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal in early July, a U.S.-bound private flight intended to position her for a return trip was turned back after the State Department concluded that her arrival could complicate earthquake relief efforts.

The episode fueled speculation that Washington had cooled toward one of Venezuela's most prominent opposition figures. Analysts have since argued that the Trump administration's priority has shifted toward stabilizing Venezuela before holding elections, even as it continues to publicly support a democratic transition.