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Caracas Notes Progress in Venezuelan Govt-Opposition Talks

MEXICO CITY/MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Venezuela’s Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said about a possible consensus that the country’s government and opposition have reached during their talks in Barbados.
Sputnik

On Friday, Norway, mediating the negotiations, said the parties engaged in the new round of talks to settle the ongoing political crisis.

"I believe that this latest round allows us to say that we are now reaching the points of possible consensus with the Venezuelan opposition", Rodriguez said, as aired live by Venezuelan television late on Friday.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in his turn, expressed his gratitude to the opposition for its participation in the talks in Barbados.

"I have been asked why I sat down at the negotiating table with those who attempted to overthrow and kill me and who calls for a foreign invasion in the country. I am ready to even negotiate with the devil for peace, unity and independence of our country", Maduro said live on television.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the UN chief welcomed Oslo's announcement that Venezuela's sides would continue negotiations.

"The Secretary-General reiterates his strong support for the Norwegian facilitation initiative. A negotiated agreement is urgently needed to reach a peaceful resolution to the crisis. The Secretary-General encourages the main political actors of Venezuela, and their representatives in the negotiations, to remain fully committed to these efforts, for the benefit of the Venezuelan people", Dujarric added.

The situation in Venezuela escalated in January, when US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself to be the country’s interim president after disputing the re-election of Maduro.

Despite several overthrow attempts, the government and opposition engaged in the talks to settle the conflict and agreed to maintain the permanent peace dialogue.

Maduro, who has positively assessed the talks, said that the sides had determined six main areas on which their negotiations were focused.

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