Gerardo Blyde (right) shakes hand of Jorge Rodríguez (left). Photo: Telesur.
Gerardo Blyde, who leads the group which has taken to calling itself the “Unitary Platform” during its conversations with the government of President Nicolás Maduro, has said that it is “highly probable” that negotiations will be taken up again in the near future.
In an interview with Unión Radio, Blyde said that this is because the US has sent officials to Caracas, and has implemented “measures which favor negotiation.” In addition, Blyde and Jorge Rodríguez, the leader of the government’s delegation, participated together in a forum organized by Norway, with the mediation of the Scandinavian kingdom.
“It is a hard path, a complex one, but it is a reality that a path to return to negotiations has been under construction, which is a tool to produce change,” said Blyde. “We must understand the times and the changes.”
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In his opinion, another thing that might be pushing these factions to return to the dialogue table could be what he has called the “reconstruction of Venezuela.”
“Maduro and his team are ready to advance and negotiate,” said Blyde. “We haven’t gotten there yet, but we are working on it.”
He then commented on how the Venezuelan government is facing “an economic and structural problem that won’t be solved by the high oil prices, because Venezuelan crude can only be sold at a 40% discount on secondary markets,” which impedes “the paying of pensions and social needs which become more dire by the day.” He then added that the exchanges with Mexico could help to solve this complex situation.
Despite this, he warned that “some of the conditions” that have been put forward to achieve economic recovery in the country “haven’t been attained and won’t be” while the negotiating is still underway.
However, he added that while there may be “other alternatives,” they won’t bear fruit unless progress is made in the negotiations, particularly regarding the hopes of his political sector for the upcoming presidential elections in 2024.
“When 2024 comes around, nothing will be different, there will be no transparency, no democratic tools, even with opposition candidates at the primaries, they will win the elections and take power,” said Blyde. “We will have a co-opted institutionality that won’t let us exercise our power. That would be the best-case scenario.”
Despite the terrible effects of the illegal US and European sanctions, Venezuela has shown that it is capable of moving forward with the help of emerging world powers and strategic partners like Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, among others.
The dialogue process with the opposition, known as the Mexico Talks, was suspended by the Venezuelan government after the illegal extradition of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab from Cape Verde to the US. Last week, the head of the Venezuelan government’s delegation at the Mexico Talks, Jorge Rodríguez, added that if the Boeing 747-300 which belongs to EMTRASUR, and was controversially grounded in Argentina after dark maneuvers by the US and Israel, does not return to Venezuela, the dialogue will not continue.
(La Iguana) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KW/SL
