Venezuelan government and opposition agree to freeze 3,000 to 5,000 million state funds abroad

Venezuelan government and opposition Talks begin this weekend in Mexico With many agreements reached in previous dialogues, only now must approval be given. The most important of these is that both sides are willing to freeze government funds abroad with the help of the United States, which should give banks, investment funds and credit institutions the confidence to release a large sum of money. Part of that capital will be used to finance the Chavista government, while the other will go to a humanitarian aid fund managed by the UN. “It’s going to be signed, and we’re hoping that this money will be in circulation soon,” commented sources inside the negotiations, and that’s exactly what happened.

Representatives of both parties confirmed the information in Mexico City on Saturday and announced that the money would be used to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the South American country. In addition, they have created a verification commission that will be in charge of monitoring compliance with the agreements they reach. Norway will continue to mediate between the two parties, the government and the opposition, which severed ties in 2019. Additionally, Washington announced. Chevron will acquire several oil exploration licenses in the country, which will provide relief to the local economy. Chavismo has come to the table with the idea of ​​restoring its power hegemony, which has also benefited the US from its conflict with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The Bank of England has withheld 31 tons of gold bars from Venezuela, and the same is true of some of Venezuela’s central bank accounts in the United States. Chavista government – estimates $5,000 million frozen abroad; The opposition has put them at less than 3,000 million – because of the need for funding, he has made it conditional on the easing of international sanctions on Mexico.

Petro announced that the talks had ended again, who has been prominent on the issue since taking office in August. The truth is that the scoop he sent out through social networks irritated the negotiators. They remember that there are many presidents and prime ministers who want to present themselves as leaders in this reconciliation, but the structure of the dialogues is clear. On one side is Chavismo, on the other is Venezuela’s unitary base—the opposition—and in the middle is the affluent country of Norway. Russia and the Netherlands are supporting. Petro, Emmanuel Macron, Alberto Fernández and Pedro Sánchez play a key role in supporting the negotiation path to end the crisis in Venezuela, but they are not part of the process, the same sources insist.

The Chavista government has given indications that its priority at this time is to freeze funds abroad. The statement signed by the head of the negotiators, Jorge Rodríguez – Maduro’s right-hand man, a key figure in the government – said it was “necessary to recover the legitimate resources, the assets of the Venezuelan state, which are blocked today”. International Finance in the Organization. “This agreement,” the letter says, “represents the advancement of our people’s right to enjoy property and resources that have been illegally and unjustly withheld.” Next, the money is said to go towards strengthening the health system, infrastructure, vaccines and medicines.

Since the parties are sitting at the same table, it is no longer possible to negotiate. The international community has insisted in recent months that it should. Chavismo has sent Jorge Rodriguez as a key bulwark, but also Camila Fabri, Maduro’s son of the same name and wife of Colombian businessman Alex Chapp, accused by the United States of being Maduro’s henchman. His presence in the talks makes it clear that the government will at some point seek the release of Sapp, who is jailed in Miami. But those things are still not discussed. The fact is that recovery of the money held abroad has been given full priority and has now been achieved.

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