Venezuela government ready to negotiate with opposition: Minister
United Nations: Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has said that the government led by President Nicolas Maduro is ready to sit down with the opposition without preconditions and seek a solution to the political crisis.
“How can there be preconditions between Venezuelans? The government has been saying: you are Venezuelan, I am Venezuelan. Let’s sit down together. We have our Constitution. Let us sit down and engage in dialogue. Let us try to find a solution without any kind of strings attached, or any kind of preconditions,” Xinhua quoted Arreaza as saying to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
“This kind of arrogance (by insisting on preconditions) would just hinder dialogue. That’s why we say we are waiting for the opposition to get through its pursuit of independence from the US government … and then we can sit down with the opposition and agree and negotiate in line with the Constitution, and find a Venezuelan solution.”
Venezuela has been in political tension since January 23 when National Assembly President Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and was recognised by the US and some other countries.