Venezuela: Talks with opposition next week

 

TT-AFP

 

Published 01:36Updated 02:04

  

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez in a picture from early July. Photo: Miguel Medina/AP/TT

Talks about Venezuela's political transition and future are to begin next week, the government and opposition in the country say.

Former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has ruled as interim leader since the US captured then-President Nicolás Maduro in January.

Jorge Rodríguez, speaker of the National Assembly and Delcy Rodríguez's brother, says he spoke with opposition politician Dinorah Figuera by phone.

- We have agreed on a first personal meeting in Caracas next week, says Jorge Rodríguez.

He also states that the parties "established a working order with clear and verifiable objectives" and that the talks will, among other things, be about "strengthening democracy".

Both Freedom House and V-Dem, which researches democracy, have identified a sharp democratic decline in Venezuela over the past 25 years.