This is how the possible restart of dialogues between Maduro and the opposition goes; Petro participates

The international pressure for the resumption of the negotiation in Mexico between the Venezuelan government and the opposition increased this Friday in thel Paris Forum on Paz, where a dialogue between the two parties sponsored by France is expected.

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“Starting to work with the Venezuelan delegation,” tweeted the French ambassador in Caracas, Romain Nadalnext to an image of the representative of the ruling party Jorge Rodriguez and of the opposition Gerard Blyde at the Paris Forum for Peace.

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The president of the Forum, Pascal Lamy, explained to AFP that “Venezuelans and other Latin American countries [le] They asked if the forum could host this year a dialogue between these Venezuelan parties that until now had not spoken.

Macronthe Colombian president, Gustavo Petroand his Argentine pair, Alberto Fernandezthey began to meet in the afternoon with the Venezuelan representatives of both parties in a private meeting, AFP found.

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Next, without the presidents, Blyde and Rodríguez must hold a discussion in the presence of representatives of Norway, Mexico and France, sources familiar with the conversations told AFP.

The fifth edition of this two-day forum has a South American accent with the presence of the presidents of Colombia and Argentina, as well as a video speech by the elected Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Although Macron promoted the event in 2018 to think about world governance and multilateralism, it also seeks to “offer a space for dialogue to prevent conflicts”, as is the case with the crisis in Venezuela.

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Paris and the organization seek to create a dynamic so that the process in Mexico can be resumed, which Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro froze in October 2021 after the extradition to the United States of Alex Saab, a close businessman.

“Negotiations between the regime and the opposition must be resumed as soon as possible in Mexico, starting with a humanitarian agreement and then – I hope – with political guarantees,” said the French leader the day before when receiving his Argentine counterpart at the Elysee.

Maduro, whose re-election in 2018 is unknown to the United States, France and fifty other countries, sent the leader of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguezas he told his French counterpart on Monday during an informal discussion on the sidelines of COP27 in Egypt.

(You can read: The details of the talk between Nicolás Maduro and Emmanuel Macron)

The Venezuelan opposition confirmed in a statement the presence of Blyde — the other chief negotiator in the Mexican process — in order to present his “vision” and highlight “the importance of obtaining results urgently.” Contacts occurred throughout the day.

On Twitter, Rodríguez published images with Nadal and French deputy Éléonore Caroit, assuring that “Venezuela’s path is dialogue, the suspension of all illegal sanctions and respect for the Constitution.”

The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, also met with both of them in the French capital, to whom he expressed that “Spain supports the resumption of negotiations” and is willing “to accompany the process”according to a statement from his ministry.

(In context: The uncertain path that Venezuela has ahead for the presidential elections)

‘Gain time’

The international situation has changed since 2018 after a global pandemic and a Russian offensive in Ukraine, which triggered a rise in oil and food prices, as well as fertilizer supply problems.

In Latin America, several governments have recently turned to the left, such as Chile, Colombia and Brazil. And the support for the opposition Juan Guaidó, who proclaimed himself interim president in 2019, seems to lose steam in the world.

Gustavo Petro, the first left-wing president of Colombia, thus resumed relations with the neighboring country, with which the borders were reopened, and even met with Maduro in Caracas, in a 180º turn from the policy of his predecessor Iván Duque. .

On Wednesday, speaking to AFP in Egypt, Duque criticized the initiative in Paris, where he said that an agreement will be announced “in the face of talks in Mexico” and “a roadmap for the 2024 presidential elections” will be opened.

Maduro is trying to “buy time”, “he will present himself again [en 2024] and to manipulate”, while continuing “Annihilating” the “freedoms”, estimated the former president, for whom the Venezuelan has already “fooled” even Macron.

During the initial session of the Forum, Petro estimated that a global decision to decarbonize the economy would help prevent conflicts in Venezuela, which “suffers from political polarization and undoubted democratic instability.” [que] It has to do with the oil that is in the subsoil”.

This edition of the Forum is being held in a tense international context due to the Russian offensive in Ukraine and its consequences in rising energy and food prices, but which prompted a change in the position on Venezuela.

The United States lifted some sanctions imposed on Caracas and the administration of President Joe Biden does not hide that Venezuelan hydrocarbons could be useful in the international market in the midst of an energy crisis.

AFP