Venezuela government, opposition hold talks amid tensions
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has started talks with a group of opposition leaders in an effort to end the country’s political crisis and economic woes.
Early on Monday, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, a Vatican envoy to the talks, said the two sides had agreed on “national dialogue plenary meeting” to be followed by long-term dialogue.
The four-point agenda includes respect for the rule of law and government sovereignty, human rights and reconciliation, economic and social affairs as well as a timetable for holding elections.
Celli was among other international mediators from Spain, Panama and the Dominican Republic attending the talks.
He made the comments after Maduro opened the talks in the capital Caracas with leaders of five opposition groups on Sunday night.
Earlier, the Vatican official had described the start of the negotiations as something “very positive.”
He had asked both sides to agree “to some concrete gestures to give credibility to this process,” adding, “The country is waiting for authentic signals to comprehend that dialogue is a reality.”
Maduro has pledged an “absolute commitment” to dialogue with opposition groups, but some parties boycotted the talks.
“We must be optimistic when we’re talking about peace,” said Maduro, praising the role of the international mediators in the diplomatic process.
Fifteen parties belonging to the Democratic Unity coalition, which has been seeking to force Maduro from office, refused to attend the talks.
They demand the release of political prisoners as a condition for negotiations and call on the government to reverse its decision to cancel a recall referendum against the president.
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