Disgraced former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has officially approved and welcomed the start of negotiations between the interim Venezuelan government and the opposition.
In an official statement published on his Telegram account, Maduro, who is currently in prison in New York, said he supports “any path to dialogue that helps consolidate peace, coexistence and reconciliation among Venezuelans“.
The news comes at a critical moment for the South American country, after National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced that official in-person talks on a political transition will begin in Caracas next week.
A Historical Turning Point and the Role of the United States in Venezuela
The political reality in Venezuela has changed dramatically since January 2026, when Nicolás Maduro was ousted from power and detained in a US military operation. The country is currently led by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who is under serious international pressure from Washington to hold free elections and open the economy to foreign investment.
The planned dialogue is actively supported by the Donald Trump administration, with the United States playing a facilitating role in the negotiation process. According to analyses by The Wall Street Journal, Washington is pushing for a clear timetable for future elections to stabilize the region.
Who is participating in the Caracas talks?
The talks will be led by representatives of the pro-government National Assembly and a group of former opposition lawmakers. Here are the main figures in the process:
Jorge Rodriguez – Chief negotiator for the government and brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez. Dinora Figueroa – Leader of the opposition delegation. She is a representative of the deputies of the legislature (2015-2020) and recently returned from exile in Spain. Maria Corina Machado – The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and main opposition leader was explicitly excluded from the talks, but said she would not obstruct the process.As BTA notes, Machado has distanced herself from the format, as its composition is strongly influenced by external factors.
Key issues and humanitarian crisis
In addition to the political transition and the reform of the National Electoral Council, the agenda includes urgent economic and humanitarian measures. The country is still recovering from the catastrophic twin earthquakes in June, which killed more than 5,500 people and caused billions of dollars in damage.
According to information from Al Jazeera, the first sessions of the dialogue will focus on three main pillars:
Aid and provision of funds for earthquake victims.
Strengthening compromised democratic institutions.
Restoring violated civil liberties and political rights.
In parallel with the internal dialogue, Venezuela has also begun to restore its external relations. According to The Straits Times, Caracas and the Dominican Republic have agreed on a roadmap for the normalization of diplomatic relations, which were severed two years ago.
Venezuelan society is following events with cautious optimism. Although previous attempts at negotiations between 2017 and 2024 failed, this time the strong influence of the United States and the removal of the autocratic Maduro regime offer hope for real institutional change.