Venezuela’s government plans to resume negotiations with the US this week on lifting crippling economic sanctions, the country's president Nicolas Maduro has announced.
Monday’s announcement comes less than a month before an election in which the president and his party are facing their toughest challenge in decades.
Mr Maduro, who is seeking a third term, wants the US government to lift crippling economic sanctions that were imposed over the last decade in an effort to topple him. He characterised the dialogue as “urgent” during his weekly TV show.
US president Joe Biden’s administration did not respond to a request for comment.
“I have received the proposal during two continuous months from the United States government to re-establish talks and direct dialogue,” Mr Maduro said.
“After thinking about it for two months, I have accepted, and next Wednesday, talks will restart with the United States government to comply with the agreements signed in Qatar and to re-establish the terms of the urgent dialogue.”
His government had held parallel talks with the Biden administration and with the US-backed Unitary Platform opposition coalition. But they were suspended as he reneged on promises, including to improve conditions ahead of the election, and his government accused the US of not fulfilling portions of agreements.
Some negotiations happened in Qatar. It was not immediately clear where the latest round of dialogue will take place.
The July 28 election is shaping up to be the biggest challenge the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela has faced in its 25-year dominance that began when the fiery Hugo Chavez became president.
The party wants to maintain its absolute government control for six more years, but its base is divided, diminished and disappointed after experiencing a complex social, economic and political crisis for 11 years — the entirety of Mr Maduro’s presidency.
Ten candidates, including the president, will be on the ballot. The only contender with a real chance of defeating the president is Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who represents the opposition’s Unitary Platform coalition.
Last year, Mr Maduro entered into an agreement with the opposition coalition to work toward improving conditions for a free and fair election. But he changed course as the meteoric rise of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado turned into a real threat to his re-election prospects.
The US granted Mr Maduro’s government relief from sanctions on its state-run oil, gas and mining sectors after he entered into the agreement with the opposition. But the Biden administration ended the relief as the ruling party continued to use its control over all government institutions to tilt the balance in his favor, including by blocking Ms Machado’s candidacy.
Her chosen substitute was barred from the ballot, too. She and the coalition are now backing Gonzalez, a former diplomat.
