VENEZUELA TALKS TO RESUME IN JANUARY AFTER GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION FAIL TO REACH DEAL
Venezuela’s
government and opposition leaders will hold a new round of talks in January
after failing on Friday to reach an agreement to ease a deep political and
economic crisis in the troubled OPEC country.
Expectations
have been low for the talks being held in the Dominican Republic. Some critics
have described them as a stalling tactic by the ruling Socialist Party which is
struggling to control a worsening economic crisis.
“We
will meet again on January 11 for a meeting with the Venezuelan opposition,”
said Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez, leader of the government delegation,
in a brief statement released by state television.
Opposition
leaders are demanding that President Nicolas Maduro accept humanitarian
assistance from abroad to ease the crisis, which has left millions of people
unable to eat properly due to triple-digit inflation and chronic product
shortages.
They
also want the release of several hundred jailed opposition activists.
Government
leaders want the opposition to help seek the elimination of sanctions by
Washington, which have been levied this year by the administration of U.S.
President Donald Trump on accusations that Maduro is undermining democracy.
An
initial round of talks two weeks ago in the Dominican Republic also ended
without a agreement.
“We
want an agreement that can be fulfilled,” said opposition legislator Luis
Florido. “Because we have not concluded discussion of all the issues, we need
another meeting so that there can be a permanent agreement.”
NEWS SOURCE : REUTERS
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