Venezuelan Government and Opposition Agree to Judicial Reform and Asset Recovery

The Venezuelan government and opposition concluded their first cycle of dialogue on Wednesday, August 12, agreeing to a process to renew the judges of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. The agreement, signed by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez and opposition deputy Dinorah Figuera, aims to transform the justice system through reforms of the organic law of the Supreme Tribunal and other judicial statutes. The parties also agreed to cooperate on recovering Venezuelan assets held at the Bank of England to provide aid for victims of a June 24 earthquake. This recovery effort will include mechanisms for transparency and auditing to ensure the efficient use of resources.

The dialogue process was prompted by the United States. While some reports state the U.S. is not at the negotiating table, others note that Washington is acting as a tutor or mediator during sticking points. The discussions have faced criticism for their lack of transparency and the exclusion of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Some supporters of the opposition gathered outside the Caracas hotel where the closed door meetings took place to demand more public debate.

Outlets with a center left lean provide more detailed context regarding the political tensions. Some of these reports frame the dialogue as a way for the U.S. State Department to provide a veneer of legitimacy to decisions already in motion. Others highlight the opposition's goal of eliminating structural conditions that allow for state repression and the release of political prisoners. A center lean source describes the U.S. as being very present in the discussions despite not being a formal member of the negotiating table.