Venezuela's interim government and opposition faction launch U.S.-backed talks

U.S.-backed talks between Venezuela's interim government and a faction of the opposition commenced on Thursday in Caracas after nearly a week of delays. The government delegation is headed by Jorge Rodriguez, who also serves as head of the National Assembly and previously negotiated with the United States and opposition groups. Opposing them is Dinorah Figuera, leader of the 2015-elected, opposition-dominated National Assembly still recognized by the United States as the country's last democratic legislature.

Both sides announced the launch on X, framing the process as a path toward democracy and the re-institutionalization of the nation. The U.S. State Department praised the start of the dialogue. Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, the opposition's most popular figure, is not participating, but she has stated she will not hinder the negotiations.