Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed Venezuelan president and leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, said that both the opposition and the legitimate Venezuelan government would resume talks in Barbados.
"In response to the mediation of the Kingdom of Norway (the opposition) will attend a meeting with representatives of the usurper regime in Barbados, to establish a negotiation on the end of the dictatorship," Guaido said in a statement.
#COMUNICADO: Estamos liderando el trabajo en todos los espacios que nos acerquen a la Libertad.
— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) July 7, 2019
Tanto en Oslo, como en el Grupo Internacional de Contacto y todos los espacios de presión, nuestro objetivo es el mismo: lograr una solución definitiva a la crisis en nuestro país. https://t.co/bIfNzMJXql
Meanwhile, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry announced that the Venezuelan opposition and representatives of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would attend another round of Norway-mediated consultations in Barbados this week to continue trying to find a way out of the political crisis in the country.
"We announce that the representatives of the main political actors in Venezuela have decided to continue the negotiation process facilitated by Norway. The parties will meet this week in Barbados to move forward in the search for an agreed-upon and constitutional solution for the country," the ministry said in a statement published on its official website late on Sunday.
The ministry added that the talks between the Venezuelan political forces would be continuous and effective.
"Norway reiterates its recognition of the parties' efforts and their spirit of cooperation, says the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Soreide," the statement added.
The government and the opposition of Venezuela have held several rounds of talks, mediated by Norway, however, no deal has been reached.
In June, Guaido said that the opposition had no interest in talks because "anything that does not move us toward (Maduro's resignation) is useless."
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in his turn, said that his administration is open to dialogue with all opposition groups, noting that an agreement between his government and the country’s political opposition would likely be reached by the end of the year.
The situation in Venezuela has been tense since January, when anti-government protests, fueled by opposition leader Juan Guaido’s decision to proclaim himself the country’s interim president, erupted. Maduro has slammed Guaido, saying he acted on the orders of the United States, which sought to install him as the country’s president and get hold of Venezuela’s vast oil assets.
Russia, China, Turkey, Cuba and Iran stand by the legitimately-elected Maduro and have warned the United States and its allies against "meddling" in the South American country’s affairs. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that "all options are on the table" for Venezuela, including military intervention.
