Venezuela government and opposition to hold talks aimed at path to election

Venezuela's government and a faction of the opposition announced plans to hold talks backed by the United States, aiming to establish a pathway toward future elections. The discussions, set to begin on Saturday, will be led by former lawmaker Dinorah Figuera, while the government side will be represented by Delcy Rodriguez’s brother, Jorge Rodriguez, president of the National Assembly. Notably absent from the negotiations will be Maria Corina Machado, one of the nation’s most prominent opposition figures and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has not been invited to participate. The talks follow nearly seven months since the U.S. military’s abduction of President Nicolas Maduro, an event that has intensified political tensions within the country. The proceedings are expected to draw criticism from both conservative supporters of Machado and opposition leftist factions. The involvement of the United States underscores its ongoing influence over interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who has already made several concessions to the Trump administration, including opening the state-owned oil sector to foreign investment. Dinorah Figuera, who previously chaired an opposition bloc in the 2015 National Assembly elections, will lead the opposition delegation. According to sources, she was selected by the U.S. due to her association with what Washington considers the last genuinely elected legislative body in Venezuela. Her agenda includes reforming the electoral council and judiciary, currently dominated by Maduro allies, to ensure free and fair elections. On the government side, Jorge Rodriguez has indicated his intention to seek greater relief from U.S. sanctions during the talks. Maria Corina Machado, who recently received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, has expressed conditional support for the process. She stated that she would not hinder “real progress” at the talks but would assess their success based on the restoration of democratic institutions, the release of political prisoners, and the scheduling of elections. Machado’s political prominence grew prior to the 2024 presidential election, though she was barred from running by the Supreme Court, which she condemned as government suppression. Her ally, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, became the main opposition candidate instead. Both Machado and independent observers have rejected Maduro’s claimed victory in that contest. Despite her growing stature, Machado has remained largely sidelined by the U.S. administration, which has questioned her ability to lead the country. While she presented her Nobel Prize to former President Donald Trump, the Trump administration has distanced itself from her, denying reports that it advised against her return to Venezuela. Earlier this week, around 300 pro-Machado demonstrators gathered in Caracas, demanding the country hold elections. Former political prisoner and ex-lawmaker Williams Davila, 74, told the AFP that the people hope the talks will lead to free and democratic elections. He criticized the exclusion of Machado, stating that she is essential to the movement. Socialist lawmaker Francisco Arias, in a post on X, criticized the talks as being approved solely by those controlling the U.S. government. He argued that any negotiations should be subject to public approval. This sentiment reflects broader discontent among Venezuelans, many of whom feel excluded from the political process. The upcoming talks mark the second public meeting between Figuera and Jorge Rodriguez since Maduro’s abduction, following their initial discussion shortly before two major earthquakes struck the region.