Venezuelan government and opposition will return to Norway for talks to settle leadership crisis, Oslo says
- Talks will continue at an undisclosed location in Oslo next week, officials have said
- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he hoped the discussions would help to ‘build a peaceful agenda’
Representatives of Venezuela’s government and opposition will return to Norway for a second round of talks to help resolve their months-long conflict, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
“We announce that the representatives of the main political actors in Venezuela have decided to return to Oslo next week to continue a process facilitated by Norway,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting the search for an agreed-upon solution between the parties in Venezuela,” it added.
Commenting on the initial talks earlier this month, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he hoped the discussions would help to “build a peaceful agenda”.
Tensions in the crisis-stricken South American country escalated after a failed uprising last month led by opposition leader Juan Guaido, who called on the military to oust Maduro.
Guaido has insisted that any agreement would require Maduro to step down. Many sectors of the opposition remain sceptical of talks, arguing that Maduro has in the past used dialogue as a stalling tactic to maintain his grip on power.
