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In Venezuela, the opposition and the government have reached two agreements, to Washington’s approval
From the complete overhaul of judicial appointments to the recovery of Venezuela’s foreign exchange reserves that had been frozen at the Bank of England. But in Caracas, there are protests against the secrecy surrounding the negotiations
Photo: ANSA
An important initial agreement has been reached between the government and the opposition in Venezuela. The two delegations were led by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the current National Assembly and brother of interim president Delcy Rodríguez, and Dinorah Figuera, former president of the National Assembly elected in 2015 when the opposition had secured a large majority, and still recognised by much of the international community – including the United States itself – as the last democratically elected National Assembly in Venezuela. At the end of the first round of negotiations, an agreement was reached on a complete renewal of judicial appointments, which had been a key demand of the opposition. In particular, all judges of the Supreme Court of Justice will be replaced; Maduro had convened the National Assembly whose term had expired before the one elected in 2015 could convene, and with whose support he had subsequently carried out the institutional coup.
There was also another agreement to recover Venezuela’s foreign exchange reserves, which had been frozen at the Bank of England following the dispute over which of the rival authorities vying for power in Venezuela was the legitimate one, and the opposition acceded to a demand from the government. The document, dated 12 August 2026, states that both parties will focus their efforts on two main areas: tackling the emergency caused by the twin earthquakes. With technical working groups and five plenary meetings between the two delegations, the process formally began in early August. “I am confident that this process will help pave the way for better democratic coexistence between the country’s various political factions and that it will result in tangible benefits for Venezuelans,” said Delcy Rodríguez in a message sent via Telegram. Indeed, there was also a protest in Caracas against the secrecy surrounding the negotiations, which nevertheless have the support of the United States.