Venezuelan gov't, opposition meet to resolve political crisis

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Representatives of the Venezuelan government and opposition parties arrived in the Dominican Republic on Friday for two days of dialogue to resolve the country's political crisis.

Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez, who heads the government delegation, said: "We have come with an already established and agreed on agenda."

Rodriguez, accompanied by National Constituent Assembly (ANC) President Delcy Rodriguez, told reporters the government aims to demand "very firmly" that the opposition work convince the United States to abandon its economic and financial "attacks" against Venezuela.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Former Spanish Prime Minister, Danilo Medina, President of Dominican Republic, and Miguel Vargas, Chancellor of the Dominican Republic, attend the Venezuela's government and opposition coalition meeting in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, December 1, 2017. /Reuters Photo

President Nicolas Maduro's administration is "being attacked" by sanctions and economic embargoes that attempt to sway the internal affairs of the country, he said.

While the government wants economic relief, the opposition is after electoral guarantees that the country "is in a position... to provide," said Rodriguez, adding Venezuela has one of the world's "most transparent electoral systems."

The head of the opposition delegation, Julio Borges, who serves as president of the National Assembly (AN), or Congress, said he was there to "fight for the basic rights of the Venezuelans."

Via dialogue, "we are building a path towards the future" that "does not exclude anyone," said Borges, who represents the coalition of opposition parties, known as the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD).

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during an event with supporters in Caracas, Venezuela, December 1, 2017. /Reuters Photo

"We have to fight on all the paths: in the streets, at the National Assembly, in the international field, and in this negotiation... to achieve the changes the country needs," said Borges.

In Caracas, Maduro pledged "to negotiate" with the opposition following the round of talks, which concludes on Saturday.

"Let's dialogue and negotiate for the country," Maduro said during an event with Venezuelan youths.

"For years, I have been proposing national dialogue as the only path to peace," Maduro added.

The two sides have been locked in a bitter power struggle since Maduro defeated the MUD's presidential candidate with a narrow margin in 2013.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency