"The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Venezuela's Unitary Platform have decided to resume their dialogue and negotiations, mediated by Norway, to achieve a political agreement as provided for in the memorandum of understanding signed in Mexico City on August 13, 2021. The meetings will start on October 17, 2023 in Bridgetown, Barbados," the Norwegian embassy in Mexico and Central America wrote on X.
On the same day, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that the government and the opposition are on the verge of signing important agreements on electoral guarantees.
"I have always been in favor of dialogue. We are on the verge of starting to sign agreements with the opposition that will benefit the country … These agreements will be useful for peace and for elections. Despite the manipulations in US media, today I can say that we are on the verge of signing agreements on electoral guarantees," Maduro said.
Earlier in the day, US media reported the White House reached a deal with Maduro to ease sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry in exchange for the South American country holding a competitive, internationally-monitored presidential election in 2024.
The US allegedly intends to announce the sanctions relief after Maduro's government and the US-backed opposition sign an agreement regarding fair elections in 2024, media claimed. The signature is reportedly expected to take place during the meeting in Barbados on Tuesday.
US outlets reported that, after the agreement is signed, Washington could allow another foreign company to accept Venezuelan oil as debt repayment. In early October, it cited French oil company Maurel & Prom, a partner to Venezuelan state-run PDVSA oil company, as a potential candidate.