MEXICO CITY, Mexico: Venezuela’s government and part of the opposition plan to launch US-backed talks on the country’s political future, although the movement led by exiled opposition leader, María Corina Machado, will not take part.
The first face-to-face meeting is due to take place next week in Caracas, said government representative, Jorge Rodríguez, on Saturday (Aug 1), reported German news agency, dpa.
The agenda includes support for victims of the June 24 earthquakes, strengthening democracy and political rights and guarantees.
Rodríguez, the President of Venezuela’s National Assembly and brother of acting President, Delcy Rodríguez, will lead the government’s delegation.
The opposition will be represented by Dinorah Figuera, the former head of the National Assembly elected in 2015. While the United States supports the process, it is not a negotiating party.
Machado, who was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and opposition politician, Edmundo González Urrutia, who ran in the 2024 presidential election on behalf of her movement, said their political camp had not been involved in negotiations over the dialogue.
They said the mechanism had been agreed between members of the 2015 National Assembly and government representatives.
Figuera and Rodríguez first announced the agenda in mid-July. At the time, Figuera said priorities included strengthening democratic institutions and the electoral system, as well as expanding political participation rights.
The talks are the latest attempt to resolve Venezuela’s long-running political crisis through negotiations after several previous rounds of dialogue failed. – BERNAMA-dpa
