Political Dialogue Begins in Venezuela
After months of increasing tensions, the Venezuelan government and opposition leaders engaged in a mediated dialogue on October 30 in an effort to address the social, political, and economic crises that have been rocking the country for the past two years. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and members of the opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), sat down for a conversation mediated by the Vatican and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) that extended into the following day, according to La Nación, an Argentine newspaper.
“The dialogue process that has been started did not come at the request of the opposition or the government. It is an international requirement because there is a serious and profound economic, social, and political crisis [in Venezuela],” said Henry Ramos Allup, current speaker of the opposition-led National Assembly.
During the meeting, the parties set an agenda for ongoing talks focused on four key issues: peace, respect for the rule of law, and sovereignty; truth, justice, human rights, reparations for victims, and reconciliation; economic and social issues; and building transparency in the electoral process and schedule. The four working groups will be led by international observers including members from both Maduro’s government and the opposition.
However, despite cooperation between both parties, the opposition splintered ahead of the talks. One of the three main parties of the MUD, Voluntad Popular—commanded by political prisoner Leopoldo López—was absent from the negotiating table, along with 14 other coalition partners. As Lilian Tintori, López’s wife, has expressed through social media, “Voluntad Popular did not think the adequate conditions were in place to have a dialogue with Maduro’s administration.”
The release of political prisoners and the reactivation of the referendum process, which was recently suspended by the National Electoral Council, were among the main demands the MUD made to the ruling party.
The consulting firm Eurasia Group noted that the Venezuelan government engaged in the conversation with three objectives in mind: “to alleviate international pressure, divide the opposition, and buy time.” The dialogue comes as the opposition attempts to activate a recall referendum to oust Maduro, which will only be possible if elections are held before January 10.
“While the government may strike a more conciliatory posture in the coming weeks, talks are unlikely to resolve the political crisis as the government remains fundamentally unwilling to cede to opposition demands and release its grip on power,” Eurasia Group wrote, as reported by Bloomberg News.
At the conclusion of the dialogue, Vatican representative Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli announced that the government and the opposition had agreed to tone-down the aggressive language recently used in political debate, citing an effort to “maintain and preserve an atmosphere of peace and harmony.”
Another meeting between the two parties is scheduled for November 11, but the opposition remains skeptical. “The continuity of this dialogue will depend on concrete gestures by the government. That a dialogue process has been opened does not mean that the battle is over,” pointed out Jesús Torrealba, Secretary-General of the MUD.