Sen. Bernie Moreno proposes July 24, 2027, as date for Venezuelan presidential election

Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno proposed that July 24, 2027, be the date for presidential election in Venezuela, so that the U.S.-supervised transition can take place.

In an interview with host Rachel Campos-Duffy on Fox News, Moreno noted that July 24 is the birthday of Venezuela's liberator, Simón Bolívar, so there could be no better date for the presidential election, in his view.

"We need to have elections in Venezuela. Obviously they aren't ready for elections today, but I think it's extremely important to set a date. I suggested July 24 of next year; that's Simón Bolívar's birthday. Previous elections had it being Chávez's birthday; as you know, Simón Bolívar was the liberator of Venezuela and Latin America, and President Trump is the modern liberator of Venezuela," Moreno said.

"Set that date, so everybody can shoot for that date to get things done," he said.

Venezuela's opposition leader, María Corina Machado, reacted to Moreno's call. In a post on X, she thanked Moreno for his "leadership and clarity regarding the critical importance of a free presidential election in Venezuela."

"A democratic Venezuela is essential not only for the stability of our hemisphere, but also for the strategic national security interests of the United States," Machado said.

She then joined the call to set a date using the hashtag #SetTheDate.

Moreno's call received widespread attention. The #SetTheDate hashtag was picked up by various voices in the Venezuelan opposition as well as by regional leaders, such as the former Brazilian senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Eduardo Bolsonaro.

In his interview, Bernie Moreno also addressed the possible return of María Corina Machado to Venezuela. He said she had the right to return to her country whenever she wanted.

"She is a free person," he said.

In an interview published this Friday in the The Wall Street Journal, María Corina Machado said she must return to Venezuela and assured that she will not challenge the transition process—quite the opposite: "My presence in Venezuela is not a challenge. Part of my effort has been to explain that it is exactly the opposite: a contribution to the process."