Venezuela’s constitutional clock starts ticking

In a ruling issued Sunday, the country's rubber-stamp Supreme Tribunal of Justice decided to treat Maduro's current absence as a temporary forced absence. This means the current government stays in place, but a constitutional clock starts ticking until elections are held.

Under this plan, Rodríguez can run the country for up to 90 days, which means the temporary period could go until April. The constitution allows for a single 90-day extension, which would push the deadline to July. If lawmakers decide that Maduro's absence is permanent, they'll have to hold a new presidential election within 30 days.

If the National Assembly declares an absolute absence during the first year of Maduro's current term, the constitution says they need to hold a new presidential election within 30 days. That means there's a chance of a vote as early as August if lawmakers act quickly to remove him from office.

See the whole article on Bloomberg here:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-05/maduro-s-son-backs-rodriguez-even-as-she-extends-hand-to-trump