The Daily Journal.— Interior Minister and PSUV Secretary General Diosdado Cabello sharply criticized sectors of the Venezuelan opposition that do not participate in the negotiating table with the government.
According to Cabello, these groups seek to “implode” the dialogue process, which aims to advance a democratic transition and support the country’s recovery following the June earthquakes.
At a press conference, Cabello described the first round of talks as successful, saying it achieved “the expected results,” and accused some political actors of “whining” because they did not secure a place at the table. However, he said negotiation channels would remain open.
The official stressed that the government’s proposal focuses on “assisting those affected by the earthquakes and recovering our gold.” He also reiterated that the national government has historically served as the main promoter of dialogue, despite previous processes that failed to deliver concrete progress toward resolving the political crisis Venezuela has faced for the past decade.
As a result of this first round of talks, the Executive Branch and the opposition-led Parliament formed in 2015 agreed to launch a process to “transform” the judicial system and recover Venezuelan assets held at the Bank of England. Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, and Dinorah Figuera, who heads the opposition Parliament following Juan Guaidó, led the delegations. Both sides signed a timetable that will begin in August with official announcements and concrete actions.
Figuera, meanwhile, insisted that the democratic transition must include the release of political prisoners and demanded clarity regarding official figures amid reports from human rights organizations. “We remain vigilant,” she said, stressing that freedom for all political prisoners represents a “major national demand.”
Finally, acting President Delcy Rodríguez welcomed the progress in the dialogue as a “first step” that could “help build a path toward better democratic coexistence” among Venezuela’s different political sectors.
