The US government reiterated on Friday its request to representatives of the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela and the interim government of Juan Guaido to resume negotiations in Mexico to find a solution to the political crisis in the Caribbean country.
Brian A. Nichols, Undersecretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the US State Department, said in statements to the press that this dialogue has the support of the Joe Biden government.
“Our goal is to encourage the Maduro regime and the interim government to return to the negotiating table in Mexico City, where Venezuela negotiated and led the solution to that country's problems,” Nichols said.
He added: “We continue to support that effort and believe that it has the best prospects for a lasting solution to Venezuela's problems.”
On March 7, Nicolás Maduro announced the reactivation “with great force” of a process of dialogue with the opposition, which was paralyzed five months ago.
Maduro ordered the suspension of negotiations, which were taking place in Mexico, in retaliation for the extradition to the United States by Cape Verde of Alex Saab, a close collaborator accused of money laundering and accused of being the front man of the chavista president.
“The dialogue in Mexico took a tremendous blow as you know, but if we are asking for dialogue for the world we have to set an example in the country and we are going to reformat the national dialogue process,” Maduro said then in a speech broadcast on state television.
Alex Saab, who received Venezuelan nationality and a diplomatic title, had been appointed as a member of the government delegation, so his extradition in October was seen as a reason to stop the process that began in August 2021 and which did not reach any relevant agreement.
At the 2021 meeting in Mexico, the parties signed a memorandum of understanding, but did not make much progress in its purpose. According to Gerardo Blyde, chief negotiator of the interim government of Venezuela, the performance “was not good” because they reached only two agreements, which could not be installed as the defense of Essequibo and social care.
(With information from AFP)
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