Venezuela must replace its election system ‘quickly’: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Venezuela must replace its Maduro-era electoral infrastructure “quickly” before any valid presidential election can be held.

“That infrastructure has to be replaced in order for these elections to be valid,” Rubio told reporters in a teleconference. “Not in 10 years, not in five years, not in two years; it needs to happen quickly under the timelines that we’ve established.”

He said the current election infrastructure was “designed by the Maduro regime to rig elections,” referring to the Supreme Justice Tribunal and the National Electoral Council.

“How can you have a legitimate election in Venezuela when the Electoral Council is controlled by people loyal to one side?” he said.

He warned that interim authorities cannot stall the process, saying “no one’s going to wait us out.”

“We have timelines that are agreed to, and so far, they’ve met every one of the timelines,” he said, noting Venezuela is “still heavily sanctioned” and operates under US waivers and general licenses.

Rubio also cautioned that failing to secure a negotiated political transition could lead to a return to authoritarian rule or renewed armed conflict while expressing confidence that the interim authorities would maintain their cooperation.

“If that’s the interim authorities that try to do harm to this process or stop complying, then we’re going to have a problem. But I don’t expect that,” he added.

Asked about trust in interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Rubio said Washington judges her “not by rhetoric but by action,” noting that Venezuela extradited Alex Saab, a close associate and former minister in the government of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who “has pled guilty and is now a cooperating witness.”

On opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s return Sunday, Rubio said Washington told the interim authorities weeks ago that she “should be allowed to return” and they said “she would not be disturbed.”

The transition talks follow a US military operation in Caracas on Jan. 3 that resulted in the seizure of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

President Donald Trump said at the time that the US would help “run the country until we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition” of power.

Then-Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president on Jan. 5, taking the oath before the National Assembly two days after the capture.