Several hands held in unison, forming a circle in front of the Venezuelan flag. Photo: AI-generated image.
By Misión Verdad – Jul 22, 2026
The reconstruction of Venezuela cannot exclude the political fabric, because of which on July 14, the National Assembly issued a statement confirming the start of a “joint work plan” with former members of the National Assembly from the 2015-2020 period. Regarding the process, the president of the parliament, Deputy Jorge Rodríguez, commented, “In the context of the call for national unity to face together the consequences of the double earthquake that has grieved us, and for the purpose of strengthening democracy, we announce the start of a joint work plan with former members of the 2015-2020 National Assembly, effective August 1.”
The National Assembly statement added that “the unanimous international support for our people and the national government to face the tragedy” highlights that “only in unity can we advance in reconstruction and the maintenance of peace.”
The statement was published just a few minutes after the former deputy from Justice First party (2015-2020), Dinorah Figuera, issued her own statement in almost identical terms, announcing that same joint work agenda as a roadmap to promote “the stability, democracy, and national recovery” of the country.
Figuera’s post was retweeted minutes after its publication by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, from his personal X account, without adding any additional comments, in a gesture interpreted as Washington’s endorsement of the process.
The constant pursuit of dialogue
The dialogue with the opposition has been a constant pursuit of the Venezuelan government and the Great Patriotic Pole coalition. The attempts have been supported by governments in the Western hemisphere (such as Mexico), as well as by others like the Kingdom of Qatar. Results have been mixed, depending on the approaches taken.
The truth is that the current National Assembly has a representation—albeit a minority—of opposition forces that participated in elections in 2020 and 2025, which demonstrates that, even amid tumultuous periods in Venezuelan political events, the exercise of constitutional rights has remained active in sectors of the right that promote democratic paths for resolving political and ideological differences.
Following the January 3 US attack on Venezuela, which culminated in the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, National Assembly Deputy Cilia Flores, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez called for national unity to ensure peace and especially urged all political sectors to set aside their differences to preserve the peace and sovereignty of the country.
To this end, she proposed a path of institutionalized dialogue through the National Council of Sovereignty and Peace as a way to reach agreements and ensure the stability of the country. At that time, she said that it was “shameful” that Venezuelan citizens could be grateful for a foreign military aggression and questioned their patriotism, and emphasized that the true sentiment of the people is the condemnation of any act that causes suffering and distress.
On June 18, Jorge Rodríguez and Dinorah Figuera met in Caracas to promote dialogue between the two sides.
Combined efforts
Amid the tragedy of the double earthquake that, to date, has left more than 5,000 dead and another 17,000 Venezuelans homeless, the support of the international community transcends humanitarian assistance and promotes the strengthening of the Venezuelan political fabric.
In this regard, the initiation of the dialogue has been promoted by the US government, and for this purpose, it has summoned Figuera to represent the opposition along with 11 other representatives. When asked about Washington’s role in the process, Figuera replied, “They have made it clear to us that this is a process for Venezuelans, that we will resolve ourselves. [The role of] the United States will be [of] oversight and observation.”
The process is backed by opposition politicians who are part of the current National Assembly, such as Deputy Stalin González, who described the announcement as “an opportunity.” “This is the same agenda that we have had for a long time and hopefully, this will be the real scenario where decisions will be made” by all sectors, including by far-right opposition groups like Popular Will.
Meanwhile, when asked about a possible meeting with María Corina Machado, Figuera avoided direct confirmation, reiterating her institutional approach. She added that this institutionality is not directly related to previous agreements, but rather stems from an invitation derived from her responsibility as “president of the National Assembly” of the 2015-2020 term.
Figuera also met with the US chargé d’affaires in Caracas, John Barrett, and with leaders of the Unitary Platform, aligned with Machado. Regarding this coalition, Figuera stated that “there are respectable positions and agreements” within the Venezuelan opposition bloc and added, “I am not even remotely in charge of this process; I am like a supportive cofactor.”
Towards a sovereign exercise of politics
One of the dilemmas for the opposition, perhaps the greatest, involves the active exercise of politics, understood as mobilization, public debate, community organization, and the struggle for power. This has guaranteed chavismo social legitimacy, internal cohesion, and the exercise of power. Another of its dilemmas stems from its permanent dependence on the tutelage of foreign actors.
During a recent interview, the acting head of state of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez was asked about the possibility of a political dialogue with the opposition sector led by Machado, to which she responded, “This is a more complex, deeper process than people imagine, and I see that process when every sanction that sector asked for no longer exists for Venezuela. Then, I will be able to sit down calmly for a political dialogue process.”
Meanwhile, the agenda of the dialogue process proposed by opposition will seek to strengthen the electoral system, democratic institutions, and guarantees for political participation. However, the impact that the sanctions—asked for and applauded by the opposition leadership—have created on the living conditions of the Venezuelan people is evident and profound, to the point that it constrains the reconstruction after the double earthquake.
This new chapter of political dialogue is expected to bring positions closer between the two sides, who, in different ways, acknowledge their own mistakes in past actions. On one hand, the opposition needs to evaluate its mistakes and regain the lost space in Venezuelan politics. On the other hand, Chavismo has set out to promote openness in various dimensions and deepen its political action in defense of political and social sovereignty.
The economic situation remains a persistent challenge: steering economic recovery, monetary stabilization, and the comprehensive reconstruction of the social welfare state is a constant task that has involved various actors in a complex national economic framework.
An exercise in politics based on sovereignty and the safeguarding of social peace will be key to achieving tangible results. This is the current challenge.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SH
Misión Verdad
Misión Verdad is a Venezuelan investigative journalism website with a socialist perspective in defense of the Bolivarian Revolution
