Chavismo and a sector of the Venezuelan opposition formally established their negotiation table this Thursday at La Carlota Air Base in Caracas.
This is the first in-person meeting between both delegations since Washington initiated a transition process for Venezuela, seven months after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces.
The parties agreed to maintain an initial working cycle in permanent session until Wednesday, August 12, when they will assess the continuation of the plenary session.
The joint statement notes that the parties “endorse the principles of respect for national sovereignty, good faith negotiation, and the pursuit of benefits for Venezuela, political, peaceful, democratic, and constitutional solutions, mutual recognition and respect between the parties, political equality and equal treatment at the table, verifiable compliance with commitments, and the protection of human rights and political rights for all forces.”
The note adds that the country will be timely informed of the progress made in these discussions.
The delegations face to face
For the opposition, the table is led by Dinorah Figuera, president of the National Assembly elected in 2015, who returned to Venezuela the day before from Spain to lead the discussions.
Figuera was accompanied by former deputies Marco Aurelio Quiñones, Ramón López, Jorge Millán, Juan Miguel Matheus, Sergio Vergara, and Desiree Barboza.
On the side of the Venezuelan government, the delegation is led by Jorge Rodríguez -brother of Delcy Rodríguez and president of the Parliament- along with the Minister of Higher Education, Ana María Sanjuán; the first vice president of the Parliament, Pedro Infante; and the deputies América Pérez, Génesis Garvett, and Jorge Arreaza.
Rodríguez summarized the launch with a brief statement on social media: "A national dialogue begins with former opposition deputies of the National Assembly of 2015."
Figuera was more emphatic on X, where she wrote: “We have established the process that will chart the path towards Democracy and the reinstatement of institutions in Venezuela among members of the 2015 National Assembly and representatives of the interim government. We are diligently working for freedom and democracy for Venezuelans.”
Agreed principles and work agenda
The agenda revolves around three main pillars: assistance to the victims of the double earthquake on June 24 - which left at least 6,125 dead and nearly 18,000 people without homes - strengthening democratic institutions, and ensuring political and civil rights.
The process will extend until December 2026, when the results of the work will be formally presented.
Washington's support and internal fractures
The United States described the start of the talks as a "unique opportunity" for Venezuelan reconciliation, according to a statement from the Department of State that reaffirmed its commitment to Secretary Marco Rubio's three-phase plan: stabilization, economic recovery, and democratic transition.
The process, however, faces resistance from both sides.
Hardline sectors of Chavismo, such as the Anti-Imperialist Popular Front, protested in Caracas last week against the dialogue, which they described as an "imposition of the United States Government."
In the opposition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) is not participating in the table. María Corina Machado has been left out along with Edmundo González Urrutia for not being members of the AN of 2015.
The PUD issued a statement on Thursday wishing for "real progress" and demanding the end of political persecution and the restoration of civil rights as "indispensable conditions for advancing towards a true national reconstruction."
A ninth attempt with unprecedented support
This is the ninth attempt at dialogue between chavismo and the opposition, but the first with the explicit and active support of Washington.
The process was formally relaunched on August 1 through a phone call between Rodríguez and Figuera, following an initial contact in June that was interrupted by the earthquakes.
From the Brooklyn jail, where he remains imprisoned awaiting a trial set for June 2027, Nicolás Maduro published a message in which he expressed his support for "any pathway of dialogue that helps consolidate peace, coexistence, and reconciliation among Venezuelans."
Related videos:
Filed under: