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The Venezuelan government and opposition plan to resume long-suspended talks in the United States on Tuesday. Joined intends to ease sanctions if President Nicolas Maduro commits to holding
The Venezuelan government and opposition plan to resume long-suspended talks in the United States on Tuesday. Joined intends to ease sanctions if President Nicolas Maduro commits to holding internationally supervised elections next year, several sources said on Monday.
The United States has repeatedly stated that it is ready to ease sanctions in exchange for Democratic concessions to MaduroBut Monday’s announcement offers the first concrete timetable for talks between the government and opposition in nearly a year.
Maduro later said the new round of agreements with the opposition included electoral guarantees.
“These agreements will be very useful for the world (…) they will be very useful for the upcoming elections, very beneficial because we will simply activate and renew electoral guarantees,” Maduro added in his program broadcast on state television.
“I can say that on Monday, despite the manipulations of the North American press, we are on the verge of starting a good round of signing documents on electoral guarantees,” he added.
President Joe Biden’s administration is shifting toward closer U.S. engagement with Caracas on issues ranging from energy to immigration and political reform, moving away from former President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
The first steps will include significant but limited sanctions relief US sources said some restrictions on Venezuela’s banking sector could be lifted for now, adding that further easing would depend on Maduro organizing fair elections that meet international standards.
Dialogues aimed at finding a way out of Venezuela’s protracted political and economic crisis will take place in Barbados. Maduro, who has served as president since 2013, is expected to run for re-election but has not yet formalized his candidacy.
Government and opposition delegations are expected to sign an election agreement on Tuesday, with the United States following with oil-related permits, according to two Washington sources familiar with the matter.
Any US action will be taken after opposition delegations and the Venezuelan government sign an agreement under which Maduro commits set a date for the presidential election and lift bans imposed on some opposition candidates, two sources said.
A source in Washington said initial sanctions relief could be announced within hours of Barbados signing the deal if the United States is satisfied Maduro has met his commitment at this stage.
Among the measures being considered is restoring Venezuelan banks’ access to the global financial system, which could facilitate oil-related transactions, the source added.
The US State Department welcomed the announcement of the resumption of negotiations, although it made no mention of sanctions relief. “The United States will continue its efforts to unite the international community in support of the Venezuela-led negotiation process,” he said.
It was not yet known whether US representatives would attend the talks in Barbados.
The United States is aware that Maduro has failed to live up to previous public and private commitments to hold free elections and is closely watching to ensure he follows through on his latest promises, the sources said.
The opposition will hold a primary election on Sunday to choose its candidate for the 2024 elections, although its leader Maria Corina Machado is barred from running for public office.
Some opposition members said Monday they doubt Maduro will keep his promises.
Last week, Reuters, citing five sources, reported that Venezuela and the United States were holding talks in Qatar that could allow at least one more foreign oil company to sell Venezuelan oil to pay off its debt if Maduro resumes talks with the opposition.
Two of the sources named France’s Maurel & Prom, a joint venture partner with Venezuelan state-owned PDVSA, as a possible beneficiary of the permit, which would allow it to export oil to pay off debt or enter into an oil swap agreement. pay off debts and outstanding dividends.
The US imposed sanctions on Venezuela after Maduro’s re-election in 2018, approximately elections that were considered a farce due to the lack of democratic guarantees and human rights violations. Since 2019, measures taken have limited the commercialization of Venezuelan oil.
Trump’s sanctions, combined with diplomatic pressure, were intended not only to financially harm Venezuela, Maduro and his inner circle, but also to force the president to step away from power. Maduro and his government have survived thanks to the support of the military and allied countries such as China, Russia and Cuba.
The Biden administration has been looking for ways to increase the flow of oil into markets to mitigate high prices caused by sanctions on Russia and decisions by OPEC+ to cut production. However, without significant investment in Venezuela’s oil sector, any real increase in production will take time, analysts say.
Biden has maintained most sanctions in an attempt to pressure Maduro to take concrete steps toward free elections, presenting sanctions relief as an incentive that has drawn criticism from his opponents.
Criticizing Biden’s energy policies, Republican Senator John Barrasso said in a statement that “the United States should never beg for oil from socialist dictators.”
Another source in Washington said the document, expected to be signed in Barbados on Tuesday, would include an election date in the second half of next year and allow international observers.
It will also allow opposition figures who are currently unable to hold public office to participate, the source added. It is unclear whether the bans will be lifted on all candidates from the opposition, which considers these measures illegal.
At least two of the original registered candidates dropped out of the race because they are barred from holding public office. Reuters.
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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