Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó proposed on Tuesday reaching an accord with the Nicolás Maduro regime to “save Venezuela” from its worst crisis in history, even floating the idea of lifting U.S. sanctions as an incentive to hold new elections.
“We must reach an agreement to save Venezuela,” he said in a message distributed on social media. “Not just any agreement or negotiation that maintains what is in place today ... (but) an agreement that must be reached between the democratic forces represented by (the opposition), the actors that make up and support the regime and the international community.”
The message appeared to signal a shift in tone from Guaidó, who is recognized the Biden administration as Venezuela’s rightful president and has publicly supported the hardline U.S. policy. In recent weeks, the Maduro regime has made several gestures that analysts interpret as moves to try to curry favor with the U.S. Six jailed American oil executives were granted house arrest and a new electoral board that includes two members of the opposition was named after weeks of negotiations.
Guaidó said Tuesday that any agreement must include a road map toward “free and fair” elections supervised by the international community, open the nation to receiving international aid and COVID-19 vaccines, and provide protections for all political actors.
He also called for the liberation of all political prisoners, the safe return of political exiles and the beginning of a transitional justice process to address crimes committed by the socialist regime.
Guaidó said the gradual lifting of the international sanctions imposed on the regime could be used as an incentive to reach those objectives.
The opposition leader suggested the idea of reaching an accord while also stating that “no one trusts the dictatorship” and that greater national and international pressure are needed.
He rejected the possibility of holding future elections under by the current National Electoral Council, saying that the opposition does not recognize the legitimacy of the body. The new council was named after weeks of negotiations with more moderate members of the opposition.
