CARACAS/WASHINGTON/HOUSTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Venezuela’s government and opposition will resume long-suspended talks on Tuesday, which would be positive for the next 2024 elections, President Nicolas Maduro said, and could lead to relief US sanctions, several sources said Monday.
The agreement between the government and the opposition will offer electoral guarantees, Nicolas Maduro said on public television.
“We are about to sign new agreements with the opposition, agreements beneficial for peace and the next elections,” he said without giving further details.
The negotiations, supposed to offer a way out of the long political and economic crisis that Venezuela is going through, will take place in Barbados. Nicolas Maduro, president since 2013, is expected to run for president, but has not yet formalized his candidacy. His government banned opposition figures from running.
The first steps the United States could take would be significant relief from some sanctions, possibly lifting restrictions on Venezuela’s banking sector, sources in Washington said, adding that any further easing would depend on whether the president arranges elections that are fair and consistent with international standards.
The United States could quickly lift restrictions on Venezuela’s oil activities if an agreement is signed, two sources familiar with the matter in Washington said on condition of anonymity.
Any US action would only come after the signing of an agreement under which Nicolas Maduro would commit to setting a date for the presidential election and lifting the ban on opposition candidates, they said. these two sources.
The US State Department welcomed the announcement of the resumption of talks earlier on Monday, but made no mention of sanctions relief.
(Reporting Mayela Armas in Caracas, Matt Spetalnick in Washington, Marianna Parraga in Houston, written by Julia Symmes Cobb and Valentine Hilaire, French version Corentin Chappron, edited by Kate Entringer)
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