Crisis in Venezuela deepens amid stalled dialogue
Venezuela's opposition walked away from a meeting with the government Tuesday, endangering ongoing talks aimed at diffusing the country's political crisis.
Opposition spokesman Jesus Torrealba said that the coalition opted not to attend Tuesday's sit-down because the government has not made any concessions more than a month into the mediation effort.
The Vatican-sponsored dialogue is aimed at steering the country away from violence as a majority of voters want socialist President Nicolas Maduro out, and the government refuses to allow a recall referendum to proceed. The opposition has demanded that the government release political prisoners and allow a vote. Opposition leaders have made concessions including suspending planned street protests, ending a symbolic impeachment effort in congress and giving up the effort to seat three contested lawmakers.
The talks come as the government is under increasing international pressure to show respect for the democratic process. On Friday, South American nations suspended Venezuela from the Mercosur trade group over what they said was its failure to comply with commitments made when it joined the group in 2012.
That strong rebuke from Venezuela's one-time friends could open the door to stronger action from other regional players. The head of the Organization of American States has for months threatened to move against Venezuela for its increasing authoritarianism and some U.S. Congress members are calling for additional sanctions.
The two sides have tried dialogue during previous crises with little effect, and hope is already fading for the current talks. Although Venezuelans overwhelmingly blame Maduro for their economic woes, the ruling party has almost complete control of institutions like the courts and the military and has shown no interest in yielding to the opposition.
The mediation effort began shortly after critics of Maduro paralyzed the capital with a massive street protest, and many of the young people who were ready to keep taking to the streets believe the process is just a stalling tactic to allow the government to diffuse the opposition's momentum and regroup.
Opposition spokesman Jesus Torrealba said that the coalition opted not to attend Tuesday's sit-down because the government has not made any concessions more than a month into the mediation effort.
The Vatican-sponsored dialogue is aimed at steering the country away from violence as a majority of voters want socialist President Nicolas Maduro out, and the government refuses to allow a recall referendum to proceed. The opposition has demanded that the government release political prisoners and allow a vote. Opposition leaders have made concessions including suspending planned street protests, ending a symbolic impeachment effort in congress and giving up the effort to seat three contested lawmakers.
The talks come as the government is under increasing international pressure to show respect for the democratic process. On Friday, South American nations suspended Venezuela from the Mercosur trade group over what they said was its failure to comply with commitments made when it joined the group in 2012.
That strong rebuke from Venezuela's one-time friends could open the door to stronger action from other regional players. The head of the Organization of American States has for months threatened to move against Venezuela for its increasing authoritarianism and some U.S. Congress members are calling for additional sanctions.
The two sides have tried dialogue during previous crises with little effect, and hope is already fading for the current talks. Although Venezuelans overwhelmingly blame Maduro for their economic woes, the ruling party has almost complete control of institutions like the courts and the military and has shown no interest in yielding to the opposition.
The mediation effort began shortly after critics of Maduro paralyzed the capital with a massive street protest, and many of the young people who were ready to keep taking to the streets believe the process is just a stalling tactic to allow the government to diffuse the opposition's momentum and regroup.