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Venezuelan Authorities, Opposition Agree to Engage in Permanent Peace Dialogue - Official

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - The Venezuelan government and opposition have agreed to engage in permanent peace dialogue as a result of three-day talks on Barbados, Hector Rodriguez, the governor of Venezuela's Miranda state, who participated in the negotiations, said.
Sputnik

"We have agreed to establish permanent peace dialogue and reached accord on our readiness to work together for ensuring peace in the country," Rodriguez said live on Venezuelan television on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that parties would not detail the process of their negotiations so far.

"We have reached an agreement with the opposition and the government of Norway [mediating the negotiations] not to detail specific topics we are discussing. There are a total of six such topics," Maduro said.

The talks in Barbados began on Monday. Maduro has said that he was optimistic about their outcome, while Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez has called them successful.

The situation in Venezuela has been tense since January, when anti-government protests, fuelled by US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido’s illegal move to proclaim himself the country’s interim president, erupted. Maduro has slammed Guaido, saying he acted at the orders of the United States, which sought to install him as the country’s president and get hold of Venezuela’s oil assets. In May, the Venezuelan authorities thwarted a coup attempt involving the military.

The sides have been engaged in the talks, mediated by Norway, however, no deal has been reached so far.

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