Venezuelan riot police fired tear gas on Tuesday to break up a demonstration in Caracas called by opposition leader Juan Guaido as he seeks to ramp up demands for elections to replace populist President Nicolas Maduro.
The United States on Thursday threw its support behind negotiations in Venezuela, saying talks could establish a transitional government, lead to fresh elections and bring an end to the crisis.
Allies of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had discussed holding a presidential election in the coming months during talks to find a breakthrough in the country's political crisis, according to sources. Opposition politicians will travel to Washington to speak to US officials this week, the sources said.
Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido said that talks hosted by Norway between his delegation and that of President Nicolas Maduro would continue despite Wednesday's discussions ending “without agreement.”
Talks between Venezuela's government and opposition on ending months of the crisis were underway in Norway, sources said on Tuesday, but Washington insisted that the only item for discussion should be President Nicolas Maduro's removal.
The head of Venezuela's ruling regime, Nicolás Maduro, asked the head of the National Assembly (AN), Juan Guaidó, recognized as interim president of the same nation by some 50 countries, to call presidential elections on Tuesday. Maduro's challenge is given because he believes he would defeat him and this would put an end to the dispute over the executive power that has marked an institutional crisis unprecedented in the Caribbean country.
Mario Abdo Benítez, president of Paraguay, announced on Thursday the rupture of diplomatic relations with Venezuela after threats from the Venezuelan president in response to the repudiation of his new mandate by the Lima Group, of which Paraguay is a member.
President Nicolás Maduro consolidated his power even more by sweeping the elections to elect the municipal councils before an opposition that mostly decided to boycott the process since they consider that there are no conditions to guarantee a transparent election.