- Title: Venezuela government and opposition talk, expectations low
- Date: 12th November 2016
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (NOVEMBER 12, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF ROUNDTABLE MEETING OVER VENEZUELAN POLITICAL CRISIS WITH HOLY SEE REPRESENTATIVE, CLAUDIO MARIA CELLI, REPRESENTATIVES OF VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION AND MEDIATORS VARIOUS OF CELLI BEFORE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HOLY SEE REPRESENTATIVE, CLAUDIO MARIA CELLI, SAYING: "The gestures that have been offered suggest the process is gaining strength and coming together." VARIOUS OF VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTER, DELCY RODRIGUEZ, ALONG WITH ARAGUA STATE GOVERNOR, TARECK EL AISSAMI EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF VENEZUELAN DEMOCRATIC UNITY OPPOSITION SECRETARY, JESUS TORREALBA, IN CENTRE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HOLY SEE REPRESENTATIVE, CLAUDIO MARIA CELLI, SAYING: "An accord has been agreed upon to overcome the contempt charge registered by the Venezuelan Supreme Court for the National Assembly." CARACAS MAYOR, JORGE RODRIGUEZ, ALONGSIDE BACKERS GOVERNMENT PARTY BEFORE MAKING STATEMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CARACAS MAYOR, JORGE RODRIGUEZ, SAYING: "Today the possibility of dialogue between the Bolivarian government of Nicolas Maduro and the Venezuelan opposition is stronger than ever. We have committed ourselves to the points established here. So has the Venezuelan opposition. We are going to maintain the issue desks for a more coordinated, formal form for the meetings." SUCRE MAYOR, CARLOS OCARIZ, SEATING WITH TORREALBA BEFORE MAKING STATEMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SUCRE MAYOR, CARLOS OCARIZ, SAYING: "For us, the end of this round is to build an electoral exit from the serious political and institutional crisis our country is going through. The agreements reached that were announced today go in that direction, and move beyond partisan organisations, and are the result of the pressure that we millions of Venezuelans have applied so that the government understands the necessity of finding solutions to the crisis with respect to the constitution." OCARIZ ALONGSIDE TORREALBA AFTER MAKING STATEMENT VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS SHAKING HANDS AFTER NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 27th November 2016 22:39
- Keywords: Nicolas Maduro Chavista MUD opposition table
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015851SNB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuela's government and opposition on Saturday (November 12) reached tentative deals in the areas of elections and foreign aid as part of a Vatican-backed dialogue process, though the agreements fell far short of initial opposition demands.
Allies of President Nicolas Maduro will consider letting foreign donors provide food and medicine to the crisis-hit country and work toward naming new directors to the national elections authority, which the opposition says favours Maduro.
A representative for the Vatican hailed the progress.
"The gestures that have been offered suggest the process is gaining strength and coming together," Vatican representative, Claudio Maria Celli, said.
The impasses is to be addressed, he added.
"An accord has been agreed upon to overcome the contempt charge registered by the Venezuelan Supreme Court for the National Assembly."
The steady decay of the OPEC nation's economy and a growing political stand-off over a referendum on Maduro's rule led both the Vatican and U.S. diplomats to set up a dialogue in late October.
The two sides will meet again on Dec. 6, contrary to the opposition's vow to walk away from the talks if the government did not set in motion a recall referendum on Maduro's rule and release more than 100 jailed opposition activists.
"Today the possibility of dialogue between the Bolivarian government of Nicolas Maduro and the Venezuelan opposition is stronger than ever. We have committed ourselves to the points established here. So has the Venezuelan opposition. We are going to maintain the issue desks for a more coordinated, formal form for the meetings," Caracas Mayor, Jorge Rodriguez, said at the news briefing.
They will work together to name two new members to the five-member elections board, which last month scuttled an opposition recall effort and escalated the country's political stand-off.
The government allowing foreign assistance effectively acknowledges the dire situation in Venezuela, where millions are struggling to eat three meals per day.
But rather than agreeing to the release of more than 100 jailed opposition activists, the joint statement made a vague nod to releasing detainees - without providing names or numbers.
The agreement also involves holding new elections for legislators from the state of Amazonas who were suspended from their posts by a court sentence last year. Maduro critics on Saturday called that an overly generous concession.
The officials emphasised the plan to deal with the crisis through democratic means.
"For us, the end of this round is to build an electoral exit from the serious political and institutional crisis our country is going through. The agreements reached that were announced today go in that direction, and move beyond partisan organisations, and are the result of the pressure that we millions of Venezuelans have applied so that the government understands the necessity of finding solutions to the crisis with respect to the constitution," Sucre Mayor Carlos Ocariz, said.
The dialogue has been hailed in the international community for bringing the two sides to the table. But the talks may break down once the two sides begin serious discussions on the issue of the recall referendum, which Socialist Party officials have repeatedly ruled out. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
