According to those acquainted with the process who requested anonymity, the preliminary talks involve high officials from both countries, including Venezuela’s congressman and president Jorge Rodriguez.
In an effort to convince President Nicolás Maduro’s government to stage a competitive presidential election in 2024 and release political prisoners, Washington has proposed lifting sanctions. Even though they were unsuccessful in their initial goal of toppling Maduro, sanctions have made the economic and humanitarian crises in Venezuela worse by impeding oil sales.
Maduro will have to make significant concessions in order to achieve an agreement with the US to ease some or all sanctions, even if only temporarily. Maduro has used previous elections to encourage violence, misappropriate public finances, and force voters. The communist leader has not yet scheduled the election or sent out invitations to foreign observers.
The majority of the limitations were implemented during US President Donald Trump’s administration from 2017 to 2021, which had a tough stance towards the socialist regime.
Having competitive elections is extremely difficult for Maduro, according to Eurasia Group analyst Risa Grais-Targow.
Maduro, who is widely anticipated to seek re-election in 2019 for a third term, “may be willing to entertain minor concessions, but anything that would lead to a truly fair vote is just too risky, given the costs of losing power,” Grais-Targow added.
The government of Maduro has used its near absolute control over the country’s media to its advantage in previous elections to secure campaign airtime. On election day, it puts up checkpoints close to the polls to give out goodies like food bags to government supporters and serve as a not-so-subtle reminder that it is keeping an eye on who votes. Recently, the administration has resorted to disqualifying opposition candidates like Maria Corina Machado.
In a written answer to inquiries, Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council of the White House, said, “We are willing to give comparable sanctions relief should Venezuela take concrete moves towards restoring democracy, leading to free and fair elections.
Given that Venezuela will shortly unveil a new electoral body that will monitor the election, any agreement would come at a crucial time.
The continuing discussions are distinct from the formal discussions between the Venezuelan government and opposition, which have been inactive since November and are being mediated by Norway.
Requests for reaction from press representatives for Jorge Rodrguez and the Venezuelan administration went unanswered.
Leading Venezuelan Election Officials Resign Before the Vote
The Biden administration is motivated to see Venezuela’s political and economic issues handled for both pragmatic and humanitarian reasons. In the past ten years, more than 7 million people have left the country, many of them travelling thousands of miles over perilous terrain across Central America and Mexico to the US border.
Since October, more than 50,000 people have entered the country under the parole system, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.
Venezuelan immigrants make up a significant voting group in Florida, a state that has frequently played a crucial role in determining the winner of presidential elections in recent decades. Trump won the state in 2020 by using his rhetorical attacks on socialism to win over his supporters. Ron DeSantis, the governor of the state, and Carlos Gimenez, the mayor of Miami, are vying for the Republican nomination.
An improvement in US ties with Venezuela and Iran, which would indicate increased supply on the world market, caused a decline in crude futures. West Texas Intermediate’s closing price dropped to below $79, marking the lowest level in more than a month.