(Caracas) The Venezuelan power announced Thursday that it would sign an agreement with the opposition which will free up Venezuelan resources blocked abroad in order to finance social projects, after confirming the resumption of negotiations in Mexico.
“We have agreed to sign in Mexico” an agreement that establishes “a practical mechanism, aimed at responding to vital social needs and public service problems” […] with “the recovery of legitimate resources, property of the Venezuelan State, which are today blocked in the international financial system”, can we read in a press release issued by Jorge Rodriguez, the speaker of the parliament and head of the delegation of the power for negotiations with the opposition.
An opposition source told AFP on Wednesday that a “social” “agreement” would be signed on Saturday.
These funds will be used in particular to strengthen the public health system, school infrastructure, the electricity network as well as to “respond” to the needs created by floods and landslides caused by rains, according to the text.
The statement did not specify how much of the funds frozen following the financial sanctions against Venezuela would be released.
The Norwegian Embassy in Mexico has confirmed that representatives of the two parties will officially resume their talks on Saturday.
Informal meetings will take place the day before.
The government had slammed the door of negotiations in October 2021, after the extradition from Cape Verde to the United States of businessman Alex Saab, close to the government and accused of money laundering.
The delegation of power hopes that the agreement “will open the doors to advance the broad agenda of the national dialogue”, according to the press release.
The main opposition party alliance, Plataforma Unitaria, called in a statement for “once and for all” agreements to resolve a crisis that has driven more than seven million Venezuelans to emigrate. after the UN, and the establishment of the conditions for “free elections”.
“This delegation comes to the process of dialogue and negotiation with the urgency and the will to find tangible and real agreements once and for all”, underlines the text. It is a question of “building the conditions and the institutions which guarantee – among other things – free and observable elections”, adds the alliance.
“There will be no real way out of the crisis without a global political agreement,” she warns.
The statement from the opposition delegation does not give more details on the agreement announced Thursday.