Venezuela gov’t and opposition to hold talks aimed at path to elections

Talks to be led by former lawmaker Dinorah Figuera as opposition figure Maria Corina Machado left out of proceedings.Published On 31 Jul 202631 Jul 2026The Venezuelan government and a segment of the opposition are to kick off United States-backed talks aimed at paving the way for eventual elections.Noticeably absent from the negotiations will be one of the country’s most prominent opposition figures, Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has not been invited to attend.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US imposes new sanctions on Cuba tourism ministry, state-owned companieslist 2 of 3Searching for closure: Venezuela families refuse to give up after quakeslist 3 of 3US judge sets 2027 trial date for Venezuela’s Maduroend of listThe proceedings, which are scheduled to begin on Saturday, come nearly seven months after the US military’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The talks have riled both conservative supporters of Machado and opposition leftists alike.The talks also underscore Washington’s continued influence over the government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president who has already overseen several key conce...