US hails initial meeting between Venezuelan government, opposition

The US has welcomed a historic meeting between Venezuela's National Assembly head Jorge Rodriguez and former opposition lawmaker Dinorah Figuera to discuss democratic transition and strengthening the National Electoral Council.

The United States ​said on Thursday it welcomed ​a meeting between ‌Jorge Rodriguez, ​the head of Venezuela's National Assembly legislature, and Dinorah Figuera, a former opposition lawmaker, ‌for discussions on a democratic transition in the South American country, including strengthening the National Electoral Council (CNE).

The meeting in Caracas was ‌the first public rapprochement between the ruling party and opposition ‌members in nearly three years, since the two sides signed a deal to hold 2024 presidential elections. Neither Figuera, who served in an opposition-led legislature until ⁠2020 ​and returned ⁠to Venezuela on Thursday after living in Spain for some seven years, ⁠nor Rodriguez, the brother of acting president Delcy Rodriguez, provided much ​detail on the meeting, with the national assembly saying in ⁠a short statement tit was focused on establishing a platform to strengthen “democracy ⁠and the ​consolidation of peace,” without providing further details.

"The U.S. understands that this agenda includes key priorities such as rebuilding ⁠Venezuela's democratic institutions, strengthening the CNE, reestablishing durable guarantees for political participation, ⁠and securing ⁠essential civic freedoms for open political discourse," U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in statement.