White House pushes back on Machado’s Venezuela election timing

U.S. White House aides are growing frustrated with opposition leader María Corina Machado after she suggested Venezuela could hold elections within a year, arguing her comments risk undermining Washington’s Venezuela policy. Officials say the U.S. priority is national security and a stable, legitimate process, with a more realistic election window of 20–24 months rather than an expedited timeline. Machado’s camp says she’s aligned with U.S. goals and condemns the chatter as media noise. GOP hawks, including Marco Rubio, have pressed for timely elections, but the administration maintains elections must occur at the right moment and cannot be rushed.