(EFE).- The Venezuelan government assured this Thursday that political negotiations in the country remain “in full development”, a process that the executive of Nicolás Maduro is carrying out in two ways, through a direct channel with the United States. and at a dialogue table with the main anti-Chavista bloc.
This was ratified by the President of the Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, when he spoke on behalf of the government, a day after Caracas and Washington concluded a prisoner exchange that confirmed the validity of this bilateral dialogue that, almost always in secret, promotes the agreements between Chavismo and the opposition ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.
The parliamentary leader, who leads the official delegation in the negotiations, insisted that dialogue channels remain open, especially after the United States released Colombian businessman Alex Saab, whom Venezuela considers a diplomat, which has boosted Chavismo's confidence in the negotiations .
“Direct, equal discussions began between the Government of the United States and the Government of Venezuela, with a number of points reflected in concrete results.”
Rodríguez admitted this Thursday that since last May he has been holding “parallel” conversations with officials in the administration of Joe Biden and with members of the Democratic Unitarian Platform (PUD), the anti-Chavista coalition with which he formed a coalition in October A series of talks had agreed guarantees for next year's elections.
“Direct talks began on an equal footing between the government of the United States and the government of Venezuela, with a number of points that were reflected in concrete results,” said the deputy next to Saab – described by the US judiciary as Maduro’s frontman – now registered as official negotiator.
Without going into details, he assured that “Venezuela has expressed its arguments very clearly in these discussions” and has taken up the demands of the counterpart, which has made possible a negotiation for which he thanked in particular the Qatari government, which was announced yesterday by a ” Broader” spoke “mediation” between the parties, still in development.
Regarding the dialogue with the PUD, Rodríguez said that they speak “almost every day” with the members of this delegation, which seeks, above all, the lifting of the disqualification of its presidential candidate, María Corina Machado, so that she can participate in the elections in the second half of 2024.
“We are in the process of developing what is set out in the Barbados Agreement (…), a general political framework for elections that will lead us to an electoral event,” he said.
He added that the government, like the opposition, is committed to “free elections”, which – he stressed – means the lifting of sanctions against Venezuela and freedom of passage for all candidates, recalling that the United States is a reward of offering $15 million to Maduro, for “narcoterrorism.”
On the opposition side, María Corina Machado, in a statement, celebrated the release of thirty people in Venezuela whom she recognized as political prisoners, without forgetting that “there is still a long way to go” in this matter, since human rights organizations estimate that in More than 250 civilians and soldiers are still being held as “prisoners of conscience” in the country.
Regarding the release of Saab, he said that the government had made “a criminal who exploited the hunger” of the people “their preferred bargaining tool in the negotiations.”
Regarding the release of Saab, whom Maduro welcomed as a “hero,” he considered that the government had made “a criminal who exploited the hunger” of the people “its preferred bargaining tool in the negotiations.”
Machado also referred to the “complementary” operation between Caracas and Washington that enabled the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in Venezuela who are now back in the North American country.
“Although we are not part of it, we are committed to contributing to the realization of the goal of free elections,” said the former MP, who believes that the central objective is that “the interests of Venezuelans are fully represented above all other considerations become”. “, in these rooms.
The anti-Chavista leader made these remarks a day after the Supreme Court announced the receipt of her case, for which the court asked the Auditor General's office to revoke the disqualification imposed under the review mechanism within a deadline that expires this Friday These statements explain the sanctions that were also agreed in the negotiations.
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