The people of Venezuela are cautiously observing the start of a new round of talks between the government and opposition. This dialogue aims to create a joint agenda for strengthening democracy and restoring fundamental rights after decades of socialist rule.
Leading the discussions are members of Venezuela’s current National Assembly, which is dominated by government supporters, and a group of former opposition legislators. These talks are mediated by the United States.
“I hope the government finally understands that we cannot move forward with their usual arbitrariness; they must respect the agreements,” said Soraida Martínez, a 58-year-old homemaker. “Both sides need to make concessions for the country’s sake,” she added.
The initial meeting is set to occur nearly seven weeks after a gathering in Caracas between Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the legislature, and ex-deputy Dinorah Figuera. Figuera returned temporarily to the country after spending nearly eight years in exile. The initiative has strong backing from Washington.
Figuera has emphasized that their top priority is to develop an institutional agenda above political interests, as previously proposed by Donald Trump’s administration. Following the capture of Maduro and his wife by US forces in January, Trump’s government suggested a three-phase plan for Venezuela, focused on stabilization, recovery, and democratic transition.
The Trump administration stresses that the agenda should include priorities such as rebuilding Venezuelan democratic institutions, strengthening the majority government-backed National Electoral Council, and establishing lasting guarantees for political participation and civic freedoms, essential for open political debate.
The negotiators have also stressed the need for national unity to address the aftermath of two major earthquakes on June 24, which resulted in over 5,500 deaths, 16,700 injuries, and left more than 20,000 people homeless, according to the latest official reports.
In 2023, Figuera was chosen to represent the former opposition legislators of the 2015 National Assembly. This body was widely seen as Venezuela’s last democratically elected institution.
Despite the failure of the four prior dialogue processes between 2017 and 2024, many hope for a positive outcome from this negotiation, given the unprecedented political situation in the country following Maduro’s removal from office and the influence of the United States in Rodríguez’s government. There is a sense that this time, minimal agreements could improve the country’s situation.
However, analysts agree that a transition to democracy remains a distant goal. They warn that a free election will be the culmination of a long process. Establishing an election calendar and conditions does not seem immediate.
John Magdaleno, a political consultant and professor at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, remarked, “The transition to democracy does not begin with the start of a dialogue process. It begins with the recognition and restoration of violated guarantees.”
According to Magdaleno, civil liberties and political rights must first be restored. Freedom of opinion, expression, press, assembly, and association, the inviolability of private communications, and other human rights protections must be secured and enforced.