The Daily Journal. — John Barrett, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Venezuela, met with opposition leader Dinorah Figuera, who recently returned to Caracas at the request of the White House to help establish a new negotiating table with the administration of Delcy Rodríguez.
Through his official X account, the American diplomat reaffirmed Washington’s recognition of the 2015 parliament as a valid interlocutor in the current transition process.
“It was a pleasure to meet in Caracas with Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 National Assembly—the last democratic institution recognized by the United States,” he wrote.
Barrett stated that Washington will continue “supporting these efforts among institutional authorities in favor of political reconciliation.”
For her part, Figuera responded to the post from the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission, expressing support for dialogue channels and highlighting the meeting’s institutional nature.
“I thank John Barrett, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Venezuela, for his invitation and for the productive meeting we held within the framework of the institutional responsibilities entrusted to me, with the firm purpose of contributing to the strengthening of democracy and the construction of solutions for the country,” the opposition leader said.
Last Thursday, Figuera, acting as the representative of the deputies elected in 2015, returned to Venezuela after years in exile and reached an agreement with Jorge Rodríguez to create a “parity-based technical-political working group” to support a future transition process.
The United States Department of State endorsed the meeting and outlined the agenda for this new mechanism.
“The United States understands that this agenda includes key priorities such as rebuilding Venezuela’s democratic institutions, strengthening the National Electoral Council (CNE), restoring lasting guarantees for political participation, and ensuring the civic freedoms essential to open political discourse,” the official statement said.
Later, in an interview, Figuera explained that one of the priorities of this new phase is “to achieve a strong, credible, and transparent electoral authority, while granting freedom and high-quality technical assistance to both national and international observers.”
“That is what any Venezuelan who has suffered electoral fraud, political disqualifications, or government intervention in political parties hopes to see,” she added.
