Chavismo to demand lifting of sanctions on Venezuela in dialogue with opposition sector

Venezuela's ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) plans to make the lifting of international sanctions a central demand in upcoming dialogue sessions with a faction of the opposition. Diosdado Cabello, the PSUV's Secretary General, announced that the government's sole proposal for the talks, scheduled to commence on August 1, is the "peace of this country" with sanctions relief as a key component.

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We are going with a single proposal: the peace of this country, the lifting of sanctions must be part of that dialogue, of course.

The dialogue will take place between the current Parliament, controlled by the ruling party, and a group of former opposition deputies from the 2015 legislature. Cabello stressed that engaging in dialogue does not signify capitulation and asserted that the PSUV will present a united front. He contrasted this with the opposition, which he claimed has become fragmented by the prospect of these conversations, stating, "The opposition sector, I don't know how many little pieces it has. That dialogue process has divided the opposition more. Now there are more little pieces."

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dialoguing does not mean capitulating

The opposition group participating in the talks is led by former deputy Dinorah Figuera. They aim to achieve objectives such as an "opportune presidential electoral calendar," among other goals, according to statements from opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia. In a joint statement, they indicated that their evaluation of the process would depend on "concrete and verifiable achievements: the recovery of democratic institutions, the release of all political prisoners, real guarantees for all actors without exclusions, an opportune presidential electoral calendar, and full respect for popular sovereignty."

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The opposition sector, I don't know how many little pieces it has. That dialogue process has divided the opposition more. Now there are more little pieces.

Figuera's sector of the opposition supports the legitimacy of the 2015 National Assembly and has the backing of the U.S. government. While Machado is considered a significant figure in the process, her group did not participate in the design or initiation of this dialogue, which began on June 18 with the accompaniment of the United States. The opposition leaders clarified they were not involved in the "design, construction, and functioning" of this dialogue track.

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we expect that this dialogue achieves an opportune presidential electoral calendar, among other objectives.