The government and the Venezuelan opposition are returning to the negotiating table in Mexico this weekend International

The government and the Venezuelan opposition will talk again in Mexico this weekend, as announced by Colombian President Gustavo Pedro. The parties are meeting again to try to find a negotiated solution to the political crisis in Venezuela after Chavismo suspended them a year ago following the arrest of a Colombian businessman close to President Nicolás Maduro. From these discussions, a specific date should emerge for holding the 2024 presidential election in front of an international audience.

Pedro has made this cause his own, even though Colombia is not officially part of the mediators at that table. What he announced on Twitter was not out of the ordinary. Since assuming the presidency in August, he has reestablished ties with the Chavista government that had been broken for three years, urging Maduro to rejoin regional organizations such as the US Human Rights Organization. A lot of effort to start the conversation again. “Negotiations must be about a guarantee agreement for the loser, whatever it is. The loser must be respected within Venezuela. There must be no interference in the independent decision of the Venezuelan people,” he said recently.In an interview with this magazine.

Colombia wants to play a key role in re-establishing the talks, they say from Casa de Narino. In fact, you already have. At a meeting in Paris a week ago, Pedro aligned himself with French President Emmanuel Macron and Argentina’s Alberto Fernandez to start this dialogue as soon as possible. The three leaders held a key meeting with Maduro’s right-hand man, Jorge Rodriguez, and opponent, Gerardo Plyde.. There was a minimum agreement ready to be renegotiated.

Chavismo and the opposition will bifurcate the conversation. On the one hand, they will discuss the social needs of the Venezuelan people; To solve this problem, 3,000 million dollars UN. On the other hand, they should note with a calendar in hand when the presidential election scheduled for 2024 will be held. However, in some cases Chavismo has indicated that they could be held earlier, in 2023. The international community wants them to be. Clean and verifiable elections where anyone can win. The opposition plans to hold primary elections that will see a single candidate emerge to challenge Maduro for power.

The international environment has changed completely in the last year. The US has approached Maduro about seeking alternative energy sources for Russia since Putin decided to invade Ukraine. Venezuela needs to loosen international sanctions for something like this to happen. More than 700 sanctions weigh on the country, greatly limiting its ability to maneuver. However, the local economy has grown in recent months. According to economists, GDP is expected to rise in double digits this year – between 9 and 12; 18 – according to the government, a significant number after six years of continuous contraction.

In parallel with the resumption of talks in Mexico, Washington will approve a new license for Chevron to exploit heavy and light oil in Venezuela. Looks like the result will come soon. This is an obvious way to loosen sanctions against the Maduro government and experts predict it will have a major impact on the local economy. According to official sources, the European Union will also lift some sanctions imposed on Caracas.

Maduro has also gained international recognition along the way. In 2019, many countries supported the alternative president of Juan Guaido, but most countries withdrew it. Pushing for Maduro’s resignation in isolation has yielded no results. Most again choose the diplomatic route. Pedro has now won that spot. In Venezuela he hired Armando Benedetti, who had established good relations with Chavismo, as one of his most trusted men. At the same time, the president is publicly calling on Maduro to return to liberal democracy. It happened to negotiate in Mexico, and that action has already been taken.

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