Caracas Waits for US to ‘Authorize’ Opposition to Engage With Maduro - FM

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The Venezuelan government is waiting for Washington to allow the opposition led by Juan Guaido to engage in negotiations with President Nicolas Maduro’s administration, Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza told reporters.

"We are waiting on the White House to give authorization to the Venezuelan opposition so they sit down to have a dialogue with us," Arreaza said during a press briefing on Thursday.

Arreaza added that this issue was among the topics he discussed on Wednesday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The situation around Venezuela remains tense months after US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido illegally declared himself the country’s interim president after disputing Maduro’s re-election.

Washington immediately endorsed Guaido, called on Maduro to step down and seized billions of dollars’ worth of the country’s oil assets. Moreover, a number of US senior officials, including President Donald Trump, have repeatedly stated that all options remain on the table with regard to the Venezuelan crisis.

Maduro, in turn, has accused the United States of trying to orchestrate a coup in order to install Guaido as a US puppet and take over Venezuela’s natural resources.

Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia, Turkey and a number of other countries have voiced their support for Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela.