Venezuela Government and Opposition Begin US Backed Talks on Elections

The Venezuelan government and a segment of the opposition are scheduled to begin talks on Saturday aimed at establishing a path toward elections. The negotiations are taking place under the tutelage of the United States and occur seven months after the US military abducted President Nicolas Maduro. The government side will be led by Jorge Rodriguez, the president of the National Assembly and brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez. The opposition delegation will be led by Dinorah Figuera, who presided over the National Assembly elected in 2015.

A central point of contention is the exclusion of Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. While some opposition figures and protesters argue that her absence makes the talks prone to failure, Machado stated she would not obstruct real progress. She indicated that she will judge the success of the proceedings based on the release of political prisoners, the restoration of democratic institutions, and the scheduling of elections.

The talks come as Venezuela recovers from a devastating earthquake that killed thousands of people. Jorge Rodriguez initially claimed the tragedy made it disrespectful for politicians to meet, but he later cited the same event as a reason to seek unity and peace. Figuera intends to push for an overhaul of the top court and the electoral council, while Rodriguez seeks relief from US sanctions.

Center left sources frame the event as a process underscored by Washington's continued influence over the interim government. Center sources frame the negotiations as a distribution of tasks orchestrated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rather than a genuine political negotiation.