Maduro welcomes agreement with opposition to kickstart dialog
Caracas, Aug 13 (EFE).- Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the government and the opposition on Friday in Mexico City.
The move marks the beginning of dialog between the parties, who are looking for a way out of the crisis in the country.
“We welcome the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Unitary Platform of the Opposition,” he wrote on his Twitter account.
‘We thank Mexico and Norway for their efforts for the Peace of the Venezuelan people.”
In the document, the government delegation led by National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez, and the opposition delegation led by former deputy Gerardo Blyde, showed willingness to agree on the necessary conditions to carry out the electoral procedures and so the next election has “all the guarantees and understanding the need for international sanctions to be lifted.”
The dialog agenda includes negotiation on “political rights for all,” electoral guarantees and a schedule for observable elections, the lifting of sanctions, respect for the constitutional rule of law, as well as political and social coexistence, and an end to violence.
In addition, it includes reparation for victims of violence, protection of the economy and social protection measures for the Venezuelan people, as well as guarantees of implementation, follow-up and verification of what was agreed on.
Shortly after the signing, opposition leader Juan Guaidó warned Maduro in a video broadcast on his networks that, if an agreement is not reached, the conflict that he considers the country is experiencing “will deepen.”
“This agreement is with Venezuela. The guarantees are for all Venezuelans, including those who support Maduro today. But we must also say, responsibly, that if they try to evade an agreement again, the conflict will deepen and the pressure will increase,” he said. EFE
gdl/tw
