Iran Press/America: Venezuela's Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodriguez, head of the government delegation, told reporters that the two sides worked towards agreements. However, officials provided no information on the nature of the agreements, and a source in the opposition delegation told AFP that “so far, nothing has been agreed.”
The opposition hopes to use the talks in Mexico City to secure guarantees of what they call "free and fair regional elections" in the fall. At the same time, the government of Nicolas Maduro wants to ease international sanctions on his economically crippled nation.
The talks, mediated by Norway and hosted by Mexico, aim to resolve the crisis that has marked Maduro’s eight-year rule.
The negotiations have a seven-point agenda, including easing sanctions, political rights, and electoral guarantees – but not the departure of Maduro.
Rodriguez said that Maduro seeks a partial if not total lifting of sanctions in exchange for concessions to the opposition.
This week, the main opposition alliance headed by Juan Guaido reversed course announced that it would end a three-year election boycott and participate in mayoral and gubernatorial polls in November.
Speaking before the negotiations, head of the opposition delegation Gerardo Blyde expressed hope that the talks “will seek to alleviate the crisis.”
He added that it is “a process which is beginning, which is hard, complex.”
Neither Maduro nor Guaido was due to personally attend the closed-door talks, which were scheduled to run until Monday.
Previous rounds of similar negotiations held in recent years have failed to resolve the crisis.
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