Overview
- A new round of negotiations opened July 31 with direct U.S. participation and a table that names Jorge Rodríguez for the chavista side and Dinorah Figuera for the opposition.
- Prominent opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia are not seated for the opening session though both say they will not block talks if real, verifiable progress is made.
- Interim president Delcy Rodríguez told Time that elections will be held only “when it’s ready” and that a political understanding among actors must come first.
- Rodríguez is pressing an apertura económica that seeks to reintegrate Venezuela into global markets and attract long-term investment while offering cooperation with the U.S. on narcotrafficking as leverage.
- This round builds on a power shift after a U.S. operation in January that captured Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores and could affect sanctions, political prisoners, and the daily economic prospects of Venezuelans.