Imprisoned Maduro welcomes political dialogue in Venezuela

Imprisoned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has expressed his support for dialogue aimed at fostering peace, coexistence, and reconciliation among Venezuelans. His message, shared via the encrypted messaging service Telegram, comes ahead of planned talks between the country's acting government and opposition leaders.

Maduro stated that pursuing national revival as a common goal necessitates mutual respect for diversity and the inclusion of all citizens. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested in early January by U.S. special forces at their home in Caracas and are currently detained in New York. Details on how Maduro managed to send the message from his cell remain unclear, though he is reportedly in regular contact with his lawyers as he awaits his trial, scheduled to begin on June 1, 2027.

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We welcome any path to dialogue that can contribute to strengthening peace, coexistence, and reconciliation among Venezuelans.

The discussions concerning Venezuela's political future are slated to commence next week with an in-person meeting in the capital city, Caracas. Both the government and the opposition confirmed the upcoming talks on Saturday.

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To speak of a national revival as a common goal is to speak of mutual respect for diversity and the inclusion of all.