Venezuelan Opposition Calls For Resuming Mexico-Hosted Talks With Government

BUENOS AIRES (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2021) Venezuela's opposition on Sunday called on the government to resume the Mexico-hosted negotiations that Caracas suspended over the extradition of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab from Cape Verde to the United States.

The government announced the decision to suspend its participation on Saturday when Saab was extradited to the US to stand trial in Florida over corruption and embezzlement charges pressed in July 2019.

"From the very beginning, we warned that this is a difficult process ... We call on the other side to resume negotiations in Mexico as soon as possible in order to conclude the necessary agreements," the Unity Platform said in a statement, as quoted on opposition leader Juan Guaido's Twitter.

Since August, Mexico City has witnessed three rounds of the reconciliation talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition. On August 13, the parties signed a memorandum to seek the resolution of the ongoing political crisis in the country.

Venezuela has long been suffering from a humanitarian and political crisis that intensified in January 2019 when, after disputing President Nicolas Maduro's re-election, Guaido declared himself the country's interim president. The United States and some other countries have recognized Guaido. A number of other nations, including Russia and China, have said they recognize Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela.