Venezuelan President Announces Resumption of Dialogue With Opposition

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - A dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition, interrupted in October 2021 after the extradition of a Venezuelan diplomat to the United States, will be resumed and expanded, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said.

"We firmly decided to initiate the process of national dialogue with all the political, social, economic, religious and cultural forces of the country," Maduro said, as quoted by Venezuelan broadcaster VTV.

Venezuela intends to set an example for all countries in terms of peace negotiations, Maduro noted, adding that the country is deeply concerned about the possibility of the conflict in Ukraine spreading to other regions of the world. According to him, the hate campaign in the media and sanctions against Russia can be a reason for conflict escalation.

"[Dialogue with opposition in Mexico] has taken a heavy blow, but if we are asking for dialogue for the whole world, we must set an example and we are going to reformat the national dialogue process, we are moving towards a more inclusive, broader process that includes all Venezuelans, men and women who want to move our country forward," Maduro added.

Negotiations between the Venezuelan authorities and the right-wing opposition in Mexico City, aimed at pulling the country out of the crisis and resolving social tensions, were interrupted after several rounds in October 2021 due to the extradition to the United States of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab, who was formally a member of the negotiating delegation from the Maduro government and his close ally.