Venezuela, opposition reported preparing to resume talks aimed at ending the country’s political crisis
After days of political deadlock, a series of meetings, between opposition leaders and the government have been agreed by the government to take place in the next few days in the hope of ending a civil conflict over President Nicolas Maduro’s power.
A group of opposition politicians have also arrived in Canada. On Monday, the opposition group, MUD, and its leader, Leopoldo Lopez, met with Canadians in Ottawa and announced that three meetings had been agreed upon; they were to take place in Havana, Miami, and New York City respectively.
The opposition’s spokesman for the talks, Samuel Moncada, said the parties had agreed to attend three parallel events: a meeting in Havana, a discussion with an international group of experts on Venezuela in Miami, and a public debate with the government at the United Nations.
Lopez said that while the discussions were a “political exercise to change the government, the MUD’s main goal is to bring freedom to Venezuela.”
“The MUD’s leader, Leopoldo Lopez, is in the Canadian parliament. He asked the Canadian government for help. They are asking for help in order to end the violence and to bring freedom to Venezuela,” he said.
While Lopez has said the Cuban government has said it is ready to talk, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland has described the Cuban government’s statements as “unhelpful.”
U.S. President Donald Trump – who has made the U.S. dollar the new currency of trade in the Americas – has recently said he believes he has a good relationship with Cuba. While the two countries have had differences in the past; Trump has said his relationship with the Cuban leader is “very good” and “very special.”
MUD in exile
The MUD, a group of Venezuelan opposition parties, has been fighting to gain influence over the country’s political crisis in the country but has been unable to do so due to a lack of financial backing and the government’s political influence. They have been able to meet with foreign governments, but have been denied entry by Venezuela’s government, citing their “illegal” status as a party with no presence in Venezuela.
In response, the MUD launched a new group, called “the National Convergence,” to facilitate the exchange of ideas
