The third round of negotiations between the Venezuelan authorities and a delegation of the opposition National Assembly, elected in 2015, has started in Caracas. The opening was announced by the Speaker of the Parliament, Jorge Rodriguez, who heads the government delegation. The opposition side is represented by Dinora Figuera.
The meeting is being held at the “Gran Melia“ hotel and began on October 14. Journalists were only allowed access to take photos, without statements from the participants at the beginning of the talks. The duration of the third round has not been announced.
Guarantees for future elections
The main emphasis is expected to be placed on political and civil guarantees related to a possible electoral process. The US State Department said that the parties should continue to work on political freedoms and electoral reform, which would create the basis for “free, fair and credible elections“ in Venezuela.
Washington supports the dialogue, which is part of the political transition process in the country. However, some of the most prominent opposition leaders - Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia - are not participating in it.
The previous two rounds
The first round took place between 6 and 12 August and ended with agreements to completely revamp the Supreme Court and restore access to Venezuelan assets blocked in the UK. The second round ended on 25 September.
In the second round, the parties reached an agreement to expand the unblocking of news websites and to create a commission to review applications for judges to the Supreme Court. Freedom of expression and the right to access information were also discussed.
The new round begins amid expectations that the negotiations will move from institutional changes to more concrete guarantees for the participation of parties and candidates in future elections. So far, no new agreements have been announced since the first meeting.
Sources: efe.com, eldiario.com, cronica.uno