Meeting between President Maduro and opposition parliamentarians. Photo courtesy of Prensa Presidencial.
Little is known about the dialogue that the Venezuelan government will carry out with sectors of the Venezuelan opposition in order to improve the political situation in the Caribbean country. However, it seems that this uncertainty will soon end as more details come to light regarding the talks, that will take place in Mexico.
Both the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and representatives of the opposition have confirmed their participation and assured for weeks that the stage is set for talks between the two sectors.
“I believe that all of Venezuela and the world is waiting for the success of these negotiations—with the support of the Mexican government, with all the conditions and guarantees—and to start the process,” said President Maduro.
There are reasons for the silence and lack of details regarding the conversations. The government of Norway has asked for maximum discretion so that the environment remains impartial.
The dialogue between the government and the opposition
When will it take place?
Some media reported unofficially that according to sources the dialogue will start on Friday, August 13.
These details have not been officially confirmed or announced, although it may be the case that the talks will take place this month between August 10 or 20, as this month is key for the candidacies for the upcoming regional and municipal elections scheduled for November 21 in Venezuela.
Where will it take place?
The representatives of both political sectors have assured that the dialogue will take place in Mexico, after considering it a neutral international scenario.
Beyond this information, it is not known if talks will take place in the capital, or somewhere else in the country.
Who will participate?
On the side of the national government, the president of the Republic has announced that the delegation will be represented by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, and the governor of Miranda state, Héctor Rodríguez.
Meanwhile, on the opposition side, as there is so much division, it is still not clear who will attend the negotiations.
Representatives of Popular Will, party of the fugitive from justice Leopoldo López, have confirmed their participation.
According to some media aligned with the opposition, former rector of the National Electoral Council (CNE) Luis Emilio Rondón, and former mayor Gerardo Blyde will also attend.
Joining them could be Henrique Capriles and representatives from parties of the G4 such as Democratic Action, (Acción Democrática) and A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo).
What are both sectors looking to negotiate?
From Maduro’s administration the demands have been clear from the beginning: the end of the sanctions, the recognition of the institutions of the state, and the return all the resources and assets that have been seized abroad.
Meanwhile, the opposition asks to establish the date of the next presidential and legislative elections, despite the fact that this is already established in the Constitution. According to the Constitution, presidential and parliamentary elections will take place in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Another of the requests of the Venezuelan right are conditions to participate in the elections, which have been handled by the national government.
The next regional and municipal elections are scheduled for November 21. A new CNE was appointed, audits were added to the system, and opposition parties were allowed to run, even those that had faced restrictions in the past.
In coming days new official announcements are expected to reveal the precise date and location for these talks between the government and the opposition.
Featured image: Meeting between President Maduro and opposition parliamentarians. Photo courtesy of Prensa Presidencial.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
