Dialogue between Venezuela’s opposition and President Nicolas Maduro’s government will resume in Barbados, self-declared interim president Juan Guaido said, after previous negotiations in Norway petered out.
“In response to the mediation of the Kingdom of Norway (the opposition) will attend a meeting with representatives of the Maduro government in Barbados,” Guaido said in a statement, without giving a date for talks to resume.
Maduro’s government suggested talks would resume this week.
Delegations representing the Venezuelan rivals met face-to-face in Oslo for the first time in late May, in a process begun two weeks earlier under Norwegian auspices to find a solution to the South American country’s economic and political crises.
Oil-rich Venezuela has been ravaged by five years of recession marked by shortages of food, medicine and other basic necessities. It plunged deeper into political turmoil in January when National Assembly speaker Guaido declared himself acting president in a direct challenge to Maduro’s authority.
Guaido also announced that he would push for Caracas to rejoin the Inter-American Defence Treaty, which Venezuela left in 2012.
“We have the legitimate right to build the international capacities and alliances necessary to protect and defend our people and our sovereignty,” Guaido said on Twitter.
Last Tuesday Guaido had said there were no plans to re-open talks with the Maduro government following the death of an officer in custody.
In a tweet, Maduro’s Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez implicitly corroborated Guaido’s announcement by reproducing a Norwegian foreign ministry statement.
“The two parties will meet this week in Barbados to move forward in the search for a negotiated and constitutional solution,” the statement said.
The Barbados talks will be the third round since May.
Guaido wants them to lead towards Maduro’s departure from the presidency he has held since 2013, to a transitional government, and then “free elections with international observers.”
Political scientist Jesus Castillo-Molleda said “the opposition cannot defeat the government, neither alone nor with the help of the US government.”
This means it has to look for other ways to reach agreements in favour of elections, the analyst said. Maduro has repeatedly said that the dialogue “will continue” with the opposition, “for peace in Venezuela.”
During a parade last Friday celebrating the country’s independence, Maduro said there would be “good news” this week about the negotiations.
Meanwhile Maduro announced he will maintain Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino in his post, following months of rumours that top military brass would be replaced after a failed uprising in April.
The Trump administration identified Padrino among the top officials involved in negotiations with opposition leader Guaido to create a transition government on April 30, in response to the country’s economic meltdown.
Since then, Padrino has publicly professed loyalty to Maduro along with the majority of the armed forces.
“I’ve decided to ratify...Vladimir Padrino as minister so that he can continue to shine with his disposition, his intelligence, with his military leadership,” Maduro said during a military ceremony broadcast on state television.
The US treasury department in 2018 sanctioned Padrino for helping Maduro maintain power through control of the military.
Padrino’s five-year tenure as defence minister has been unusually long, since most previous ministers over the last decade have not remained in office more than one year.
Military experts say he is past his retirement date, but add that he is seen as one of the few officials who can maintain cohesion among the ranks.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro walks next to his wife Cilia Flores, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and military commanders during a military graduation ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela.
