The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, stressed that the position of the Venezuelan government and the opposition to resume dialogue is “encouraging” because it shows the interest of the parties in settling their differences.
“We believe that the political dialogue and the position of the Government is encouraging and I would like all parties to end the dialogue and end up supporting the initiatives.”
He indicated that “the talks must be resumed, in an inclusive and participatory manner, our body is willing to provide technical support”, while urging the international community to facilitate the conditions that allow reaching “significant agreements” in the negotiations that were suspended in October 2021.
He described as positive the reforms recently carried out by the government of President Nicolás Maduro to the Supreme Court of Justice, the restructuring of security such as the National Police that will make it possible to deal effectively with complaints of violations. He stressed that they continue to work in “Venezuela to address issues of interest and in meetings with organizations, civil society and families.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard, applauded the return of the negotiations between the Government of Venezuela and the opposition, after the heads of the delegations of both parties met last Tuesday to talk about a new political rapprochement.
Through his twitter account, the diplomat valued as “very positive the announcement of the resumption of dialogue between the Government of Venezuela and the Unitary Platform of Venezuela. Mexico willing and ready to welcome you and help make you a success. Congratulations”.
The process
A high-level official from the US administration reported that the Joe Biden government decided to lift some of the economic sanctions against Venezuela, including the ban on the US oil company Chevron from negotiating with the state-owned PDVSA, to try to reactivate the dialogue.
As will be remembered last Tuesday night, the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, head of the government’s delegation for dialogue, reported on his twitter that he held a working meeting with Gerardo Blyde, responsible for the Unitary Platform, in which they discussed a possible agenda for the return of the negotiations in Mexico.
“In my capacity as representative of the delegation of the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela for the dialogue processes, I have held a meeting with Dr. Gerardo Blyde to seek action formulas for the future.”
He highlighted in the various publications “in a work meeting for future plans, in the rescue of the spirit of Mexico.”
Rodríguez explained that “we have insisted on the crucial importance of the development of social issues that are of the main interest of our people. Our brother Álex Saab, kidnapped for 704 days, is a full member of the Venezuelan delegation and is our delegate. In this sense, Venezuela has demanded, demands and will demand the participation of Álex Saab in any of the work initiatives that are eventually agreed upon.”
In this sense, the Unitary Platform pointed out that these talks will include meetings and discussions in order to specify and agree on the necessary elements for the prompt restart of this negotiation process, which should not have been suspended.
It is worth noting that the negotiations between the government of President Nicolás Maduro and the opposition grouped under the name of the Unitary Platform were held in Mexico City but were suspended in October 2021 after the extradition to the United States of the diplomat Álex Saab.
