BUENOS AIRES (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2019) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has pledged to keep doors open for the dialogue with the opposition.
The Venezuelan authorities earlier announced the launch of the dialogue with a number of opposition political parties. The participants of the dialogue include the Movement for Socialism party, Progressive Advance and others.
According to the Venezuelan state television, some agreements have already been achieved, like the return of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela to the country's parliament, release of prisoners, denouncement of the US sanctions, changes in the electoral process.
"I welcome the arrangements reached at the negotiating table with the opposition. This is a step toward an agreement and peace. All doors for dialogue will remain open for the sake of peace for all Venezuelans," Maduro said on Twitter.
Since May, the Venezuelan government and opposition have been engaged in negotiations mediated by the Norwegian government. In July, a Venezuelan government delegation and opposition representatives held a three-day round of Norway-mediated talks in Barbados as part of efforts to resolve the ongoing political crisis in the country.
In August, Maduro stopped negotiations with the opposition due to Washington's freeze of all assets held by the Venezuelan government in the United States.
Earlier in September, Maduro said that the government would not re-engage in its talks with opposition as long as its leader, Juan Guaido, refused to abandon his intentions to sell the disputed Guayana Esequiba region to transnational companies and the country's eastern neighbor. Caracas has been extending its territorial claims over the region, which is located in the basin of the Essequibo river and is a major portion of Guyana's territory.
Venezuela faces a US-led effort to oust the government of Maduro and replace him with opposition leader and a self-proclaimed president Guaido. The United States has imposed comprehensive sanctions against Venezuela and frozen some of the country's assets.
Maduro has called Guaido a US puppet and accused the United States of orchestrating a coup to effect a forced change in government in Venezuela and claim the country's resources.
