Maduro claims is committed to dialog with opposition

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro says he remains committed to dialog and is ready to resume talks with the opposition to resolve matters in the country.

During his annual presidential address on Sunday, Maduro reaffirmed “his commitment to dialog and to harmonious, balanced, constitutional solutions.”

The opposition, which accuses the president of violating the constitution, has ruled out a return to the negotiations. But during his speech, Maduro said mediators will resume efforts to “launch political dialog for ensuring peace in Venezuela.”

Venezuela has been experiencing upheaval over a series of issues, including a clumsy replacement of bank notes causing cash shortages, and acute shortages of basic goods, itself a result of a deep economic crisis.

Despite his claim of commitment to dialog with the opposition, Maduro refused to face his opponents on Sunday by delivering the annual address at the Supreme Court instead of the parliament.

In his Sunday speech, he confirmed the depth of the economic crisis in the country, saying the year 2016 was “the longest and hardest” for his government.

He vowed to keep “riding out the crisis” through his economic emergency measures, including the extension of food aid programs for the poor. He also announced a 50-percent raise in the minimum wage and pensions last week, a move that has been slammed as a cause for even further inflation.

SS