WASHINGTON.- The deputy spokesperson for the US State DepartmentVedant Patel said that Washington will hold talks with “a wide range of Venezuelan actors” after what Nicolas Maduro announced the resumption of the process of direct “dialogue” with the US government.
The announcement comes just weeks before the presidential elections and after dictator Nicolás Maduro made it public, stating that the US had sought him out for dialogue.
“The full implementation of the Barbados Agreement is the best way to restore the democracy that Venezuelans deserve. It is also the best way to improve economic and humanitarian conditions and Addressing the migration crisisso that is something we will continue to focus on. We are going to engage in dialogue with a broad range of Venezuelan actors,” he said during a press conference.
In this regard, he stressed his commitment to the participation of democratic actors and to a “broad dialogue” and a “wide range of voices” through representatives of the opposition and its diplomatic partners in the country.
However, he refused to speak openly about Maduro’s statements, who assured that his regime will resume the process of direct dialogue with USA on Wednesday of next week, less than a month before the presidential elections to be held on July 28, in which the president will run for re-election.
Patel added that the announcement was made to prevent “secret” agreements from being reached that are later not respected.
The two countries began negotiations in late 2023 in Qatar, which led to the release of Colombian businessman Alex Saab, considered Maduro’s front man and detained in the United States since 2020 on charges of capital crimes, while Caracas released a dozen American prisoners.
In parallel, the Venezuelan regime and the opposition signed the Barbados Agreement last October, when they agreed on the conditions and date of the presidential elections. After that, Washington relaxed the oil embargo, but reactivated the sanctions after the disqualification of the main opposition presidential candidate, Maria Corina Machado.
The opposition has been denouncing that the regime is violating the Barbados agreement by not allowing Machado to run for president. Also, the regime is disrespecting the pact -according to the opposition- when it persecutes, harasses and intimidates people linked to Machado’s Vente Venezuela party and those who in some way have or have had a relationship with the electoral activities that the opposition leader has been carrying out in view of the elections of the 28th.
Last June, Vente Venezuela reported that 40 people linked to the organization have been arrested arbitrarily so far in 2024. Machado denounced days ago that it is a “criminalized regime” that goes against the “electoral route”, since none of the detainees “has committed any crime.”
At the same time, the Maduro regime holds 282 political prisoners, according to figures from the NGO Foro Penal.
Machado, who has been touring Venezuela to campaign for the consensus candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutiawas the winner with a resounding 92% of the opposition primaries held in October 2023.
On July 28, Maduro will face González Urrutia, who ended up being the official candidate of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), the main opposition coalition, after Machado was unable to register.
This Tuesday, The PUD indicated that it considers Maduro’s announcement to be a positive sign and his willingness to engage in dialogue, just weeks before the presidential elections, according to his executive secretary Omar Barboza.
Barboza added that the coalition negotiators will be ready to participate in bilateral discussions if necessary, for the good of the “electoral process and for the respect of democratic guarantees.”
“Differences should be resolved peacefully, through dialogue,” Barboza added in statements to reporters in Caracas, although he clarified that they are willing to talk only if they are called upon.
Source: With information from Europa Press
