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Venezuela‘s imprisoned former leader, Nicolas Maduro, has welcomed efforts to promote dialogue ahead of a United States-backed meeting between representatives of the country’s interim government and opposition leaders scheduled for the coming week.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured during a US military raid in January and are being held in a detention centre in New York while awaiting trial on charges related to drug and firearms trafficking. Both have pleaded not guilty.
“We welcome any path to dialogue that helps consolidate peace, coexistence, and reconciliation among Venezuelans,” Maduro said in a message posted on his official Telegram account on Sunday.
“To speak of a national renaissance as a common goal is to speak of mutual respect for diversity, of inclusion for everyone,” he added.
It was not immediately clear how the 63-year-old former president posted the message from detention, although he is understood to remain in regular contact with his legal team.
Following Maduro’s removal from office, the United States approved the appointment of former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as Venezuela’s interim leader.
Rodriguez has since governed under pressure from Washington, which has called for greater access for US companies to Venezuela’s oil, mineral and other natural resources.
The United States has also advocated political dialogue aimed at establishing a timetable for future elections in the South American country.
Maduro’s remarks came as Venezuela’s interim government and opposition leaders announced that political transition talks are expected to begin in Caracas later this week.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, who serves as the government’s chief negotiator and is the interim president’s brother, said the schedule was agreed after a telephone conversation with opposition figure Dinorah Figuera.
However, the talks will proceed without the participation of leading opposition figure and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, who said she would not obstruct the process.
Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves but has endured years of economic crisis, has faced additional challenges since Maduro’s removal from office.
The country is also recovering from devastating earthquakes in June that claimed more than 5,500 lives.
According to Jorge Rodriguez, the discussions will focus on post-earthquake recovery, strengthening democratic institutions and expanding political rights.
