The Venezuelan government and a faction of the opposition began a new round of US-backed dialogue on Saturday, the ninth attempt at negotiations between the two sides, aimed at paving the way for eventual elections. The talks open nearly seven months after the US military abducted President Nicolás Maduro in January.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez leads the government delegation, while former lawmaker Dinorah Figuera, who returned from exile in June, heads the opposition side. Figuera is expected to push for overhauling the electoral council and the supreme court, while Rodríguez said he will seek further US sanctions relief. The release of political prisoners is also on the agenda.
Prominent opposition figures María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia will not participate; Machado was not invited. Maduro faces charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy and weapons possession, with his trial set to begin next June.