Maduro offers a dialogue with the opposition mediated by the United States

The president has expressed on other occasions his willingness to dialogue with the opposition he leads Juan Guaido, which more than 50 countries consider the president in charge of the country after ignoring the re-election of Maduro in 2018 as “fraudulent”.

Maduro had conditioned his participation on the lifting of economic sanctions, including an embargo on Venezuelan oil, which closed the financing channels amid a serious economic crisis.

“We are roughly now, I would say: from 1 to 10, we could say that we have reached 9 and in the next few days in these negotiations, which so far are secret, where the Norwegian government is involved, a final agreement is found, ”he said. .

Guaidó also said he was ready to sit down with the government. He demands an electoral calendar including presidential elections, in exchange for a “gradual lifting” of sanctions.

The United States and the European Union have already expressed their willingness to review coercive measures if discussions in favor of “credible” elections advance.

Venezuela is due to vote for mayors and governors on November 21, which Maduro has vowed to uphold, seeking to regain international recognition.

The divided opposition, which boycotted the 2018 presidential and 2020 legislative elections, faces the dilemma of whether or not to participate.

The last time the government and the opposition sat down at a negotiating table, it was in Barbados in 2019, also sponsored by Norway. These talks were exhausted without agreements.

These new conversations are also being prepared after the arrest of the former deputy Freddy guevara, very close to Guaidó, accused of terrorism and treason.