Venezuela resumes dialogue between government and opposition

The Venezuelan government and opposition resumed dialogue on Thursday amid a tense scenario marked by the arrest of an opposition leader and the release of news sites. The meeting, held in Caracas, was attended by representatives of both sides and aimed to advance on such guidelines as the release of Venezuelan gold and the legitimacy of the Parliament.

Earlier, before the meeting, Figuera had held a decision by the Conatel (National Telecommunications Commission), published on Thursday morning, for internet service providers to overturn the blocks imposed on communication vehicles. The move was seen as an opening gesture by the government.

Site blocks were the subject of criticism

Activists, journalists and NGOs have denounced for years the blocking of websites, which they accused of being a censorship mechanism. In order to access them in Venezuela, it was necessary to use a VPN (virtual private network). The release of some portals was received with caution by organizations defending press freedom.

The non-governmental organization VE Sin Filtro has verified access to 17 websites from various internet providers. The organization still records at least 188 blocked sites in the country, including 79 news outlets. Despite the progress, the entity points out that most websites remain inaccessible.

Dialogue seeks to unlock gold and Parliament

The dialogue table between the two groups also seeks to unlock negotiations for the release of Venezuelan gold that is in the custody of the Bank of England. It is estimated that the reserves total 31 tons, valued at more than US$ 4 billion. The issue is considered a priority for the government, which faces a serious economic crisis.

The 2015 National Assembly, elected when the opposition won a majority in the Venezuelan parliament, was emptied in 2017, after the creation of a Constituent Assembly by the government of Nicolás Maduro. Since then, its members have claimed the legitimacy of the Poder Legislativo. The institutional issue is one of the central points of the negotiations.

The Government promotes a climate of coexistence

"The institutional day was aimed at adopting measures that favor pluralism of expression and the consolidation of a climate of greater democratic coexistence in the country," according to a statement from the Ministry of Information. The official text reinforces the conciliatory tone of the meeting.

The meeting allowed "to ratify the will to consolidate peace, diplomacy and coordinated work with multilateral organizations," according to the text. The statement suggests that both parties seek international support to mediate the process.

The resumption of the dialogue comes at a delicate moment, with the arrest of an opponent still without clarification. The source did not detail the name of the opponent or the circumstances of the arrest. The episode may influence the progress of negotiations in the coming days.

For the correspondent of RFI in Venezuela, Pedro Pannunzio, the scenario is of expectation. He closely monitors the developments and points out that the release of websites and the resumption of dialogue are signs of a possible distension, but that there are still many obstacles ahead.

The next step, according to sources close to the negotiations, would be to define a work agenda for the next meetings. The international community is watching closely, especially in the face of the humanitarian crisis that is affecting the country.

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