Representatives of Maduro and Venezuelan opposition to resume talks in Mexico
Negotiators from both sides of Venezuela’s political divide will return to Mexico this week to begin a second round of talks aimed at easing the once-prosperous crisis that has forced millions to flee.
Representatives of the embattled socialist president Nicolás Maduro and the opposition to his government will meet on Friday afternoon, after a first round of negotiations was held in the Mexican capital last month.
Although the agreements of the talks have not been made public so far, two sources with knowledge of the sessions cited a couple of recent events as a result of the dialogue: the release of opposition leader Freddy Guevara and the announced participation of the opposition in the talks. scheduled regional elections. for november.
The opposition boycotted a 2018 presidential vote that saw Maduro win an uneven reelection, as well as a parliamentary election last year, both of which Maduro’s opponents deemed rigged.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan Congress and head of Maduro’s negotiating team, announced the resumption of the talks in remarks on Tuesday.
Unlike the failed talks of years past, the Mexican-sponsored negotiations now have the formal backing of the Netherlands, Russia, Bolivia and Turkey, as well as Norway, which also participated in the previous round in August.
Venezuelan opposition ends boycott before local elections
The Maduro government has demanded that the financial sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe on Venezuela be lifted, including those applied to the state oil company PDVSA, accused of intensifying the country’s historical economic crisis.
“Venezuela will present in Mexico … a firm request with all the requirements for the recovery of the country’s economy and the return of the gold held hostage in the Bank of England, and that all sanctions against PDVSA be lifted,” Maduro said. this week.
Maduro is especially interested in recovering the 31 tons of Venezuelan gold bars that have been kept in Britain since London recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president after the 2018 elections.
Officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden have expressed their willingness to review sanctions on Venezuela inherited from the previous administration, but have made such moves conditional on “significant progress” in the Mexico talks.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan opposition is seeking additional humanitarian aid for the country’s impoverished masses, more COVID-19 vaccines, the release of dozens of detainees whom they call political prisoners, as well as guarantees for the upcoming November elections.
Venezuela’s economic collapse has been felt far beyond its borders, as desperate individuals and entire families have sought better prospects in other countries, part of an exodus that the Washington-based Organization of American States has estimated will reach seven million next year.
(REUTERS)
