Venezuelans, with cautious optimism, welcome a new round of discussions between government representatives and opposition members. These talks aim to create a unified agenda to strengthen democracy and restore fundamental rights after nearly three decades of socialist rule.
Leading the negotiations are members of Venezuela’s current National Assembly, strongly dominated by the ruling party, along with former opposition legislators. These former legislators once attempted to remove then-president Nicolás Maduro and now engage under U.S. mediation.
Hopefully, the government will finally realize that we will not progress with constant arbitrariness. They must respect the agreements,
expressed Soraida Martínez, a 58-year-old homemaker. She emphasized the need for both sides to make concessions for the country’s sake.
The initial meeting will occur nearly seven weeks after a gathering in Caracas featuring Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Legislative body and brother to interim president Delcy Rodríguez, alongside ex-legislator Dinorah Figuera, who has returned briefly from nearly eight years in exile. Washington has been instrumental in advocating for this initiative.
Figuera stated that the priority is developing an institutional agenda that transcends individual political group interests, echoing proposals from the Trump administration. Following U.S. forces capturing Maduro and his wife in January, the Trump administration suggested a three-phase plan for Venezuela encompassing stabilization, recovery, and democratic transition.
This plan calls for reconstructing Venezuela’s democratic institutions, fortifying the National Electoral Council, restoring durable guarantees for political engagement, and safeguarding essential civil liberties vital for open political debate, as highlighted in a Department of State release after the Rodríguez and Figuera meeting.
Negotiators have also pledged to rally national unity to cope with the aftermath of two powerful earthquakes on June 24. These quakes resulted in over 5,500 fatalities, 16,700 injuries, and displaced more than 20,000 people, according to the latest official reports.
In 2023, Figuera was selected to represent opposition ex-legislators from the 2015 National Assembly, widely regarded as Venezuela’s last democratically elected institution. Despite the failure of four previous dialogue processes between 2017 and 2024, many expect favorable outcomes from this negotiation given the unprecedented political scene following Maduro’s removal and U.S. influence over Rodríguez’s governance.
Analysts agree a democratic transition remains distant, cautioning that a free election marks the end of a lengthy process. Setting an electoral timeline and conditions is not immediate. John Magdaleno, a political consultant and professor at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, emphasized that democratic transition starts not with dialogue but with acknowledging and restoring violated guarantees.
Magdaleno asserts that civil freedoms and political rights like freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, privacy protection, and other human rights assurances must be reinstated first.
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