Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó urged the United States to moderate the sanctions imposed on Venezuela to facilitate the return of the government delegation to the dialogue table established in Mexico.
“It is on the table, with the aim of strengthening the opposition in its role as interlocutor and the possibility of an agreement”, Guaidó stated in an interview with the Bloomberg news agency.
“The dictatorship needs to give an answer”, has added. However, the opposition does not give up on continuing to press for “free and fair” elections to be held as soon as possible.
According to Guaidó, the government could return to the negotiating table if “positive actions” are taken. “We hope to start negotiations as soon as possible,” he explained, although he warned that if an agreement is not reached, the sanctions will be tougher and more targeted at people involved in corruption and crimes against humanity.
Regarding the annulment of the recall referendum against the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, Guaidó has opted for mobilization. “Without that option, the challenge we now have is how to mobilize ourselves, how to organize ourselves, how to find spaces for safe participation so that people can express themselves,” he argued.
According to Bloomberg, a spokesman for the State Department has indicated that it is not advancing information about actions on the sanctions. “The United States, along with our partners and allies, seeks to use multilateral pressure to lead Venezuela towards a democratic solution”, he pointed out in a written response to Bloomberg’s questions.
“The Maduro regime can create a path to sanctions relief by engaging in sincere negotiations with the opposition to create the necessary conditions and allow free and fair elections to be held in Venezuela,” he added.
On January 6, the United States ambassador to Venezuela, James Story, pointed out that are “willing to lift, ease, and change sanctions when there are negotiations that generate changes to restore institutions and democracy in Venezuela”.
Talks between the Maduro government and the opposition were suspended at the end of last year in response to Cape Verde’s extradition to the United States of a Maduro ally, Álex Saab.