US hails progress in Venezuela transition talks

President of the United States, Donald Trump. Photo: The White House

The United States on Thursday praised the conclusion of the latest round of talks towards a democratic transition between Venezuela’s interim government and opposition representatives.

The US-sponsored talks on transitioning from the hardline socialist rule of ousted ex-president Nicolas Maduro began in August.

Washington is under pressure to organise democratic elections following its January ouster of Maduro.

It nudged interim President Delcy Rodriguez, a former Maduro loyalist who was his vice president, to negotiate with an opposition delegation led by Dinorah Figuera.

“I welcome and recognise the efforts of the parties sitting at this dialogue table to move forward in the area of political guarantees for everyone,” Rodriguez said at the end of Thursday’s meeting with the opposition, held at the presidential palace.

Figuera led a political bloc that won a majority in the 2015 National Assembly, the last legislature elected in a vote widely recognised by the international community.

• Boko Haram compounding Nigeria’s case
• BBC defamation suit: Trump get December deadline to testify
• US authorities charge six over illegal immigration marriage scheme

The third round of talks “delivered tangible results including agreement to work to review and revise several repressive laws to increase political and social freedom, and guarantee the participation of all political actors,” the US State Department said in a statement.

It also hailed progress on “rebuilding an independent Supreme Court.”

Since the talks started, the process has strengthened press freedoms, restored access to more than 70 previously blocked websites, “produced an agreement to recover gold holdings in the Bank of England for earthquake relief, and advanced efforts to reform the repressive Law Against Hatred,” it said.

The statement also said the Trump administration remains committed to supporting a Venezuelan-led process toward a peaceful democratic transition.

Exiled opposition leader Maria Machado has been sidelined from the negotiations, and thousands protested in Caracas and other cities on Thursday demanding her return to the country.

AFP

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.