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Expectations Low as Venezuela's Government, Opposition Resume Talks

by VOA News

   WASHINGTON --

   Venezuela's government and opposition resumed talks Friday evening
   aimed at easing a political standoff in the country stricken by a
   spiraling economic crisis.

   The expectations for a breakthrough are low because the opposition
   insists on a recall referendum against Socialist President Nicolas
   Maduro, while the administration is showing little indication of
   agreeing to that.

   The dialogue is part of a Vatican-led effort to defuse the country's
   political crisis after Pope Francis met privately with Maduro.

   The Vatican envoy, Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, hailed the meeting as
   a good first step.

   "I think it's very positive that the government delegation and the
   opposition have met, have spoken, facing delicate and important topics
   for the life of the country," Celli said. "I see this moment as very
   positive, one of the ex-presidents used the word 'miracle' that the two
   delegations talk and do so in a respectful, attentive manner, because
   that is unquestionable."

   International mediators, from left to right, Dominican Republic's
   former President Leonel Fernandez, Vatican envoy Archbishop Claudio
   Maria Celli, Colombian former President Ernesto Samper, and Spain's
   former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, sit at the dialogue
   table between Venezuela's government and its opposition, in Caracas,
   Venezuela, Friday, Nov, 11 , 2016.

   Talks open; Maduro not seen

   Television footage showed four top Socialist Party officials and four
   counterparts from the opposition participating in the meeting, which is
   to continue Saturday. Also in attendance are representatives from the
   church and regional and international delegates. Maduro did not appear
   in the images.

   A short time before the meeting got underway, Maduro declared he had
   done everything in his power to achieve a resolution with opposition
   leaders who for months had been seeking to remove him.

   "I have done everything, both possible and impossible, for there to be
   peace talks with the right -- without ultimatums and without bullying,"
   the socialist leader said.

   In an attempt to defuse the country's political crisis, Maduro and his
   political team met for the first time in two years October 30 with
   several opposition leaders, including Democratic Unity coalition
   Secretary-General Jesus Torrealba and opposition Governor Henri Falcon.

   Unhappy electorate

   Mass street protests erupted after authorities last month blocked the
   opposition's bid to hold a referendum on removing Maduro from office.

   Maduro said blocking the referendum was an independent decision by the
   judicial and electoral authorities based on fraud allegations. He has
   distanced himself from the issue.

   Maduro's political opponents have accused him of staging a "coup
   d'etat" by stopping the effort to hold a vote to remove him.