Venezuela: Barbados talks ended, says government

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Venezuela's government has announced the "successful" end of talks in Barbados between the government and opposition to resolve the country’s ongoing political crisis.

"This journey of the permanent dialogue table for peace ends today in Barbados," Vice President Jorge Rodriguez said on Twitter late Wednesday.

Rodriguez stressed that the Barbados talks, which resumed on Monday, had been a space for "dissolving controversies through constitutional and peaceful means."

He called the talks a "successful" exchange of opinions under the mediation of Norwegian government.

Rodriguez also thanked Mia Mottley, the prime minister of the Caribbean island of Barbados, for her hospitality.

Starting Monday, a number of meetings were held in Barbados to find peaceful solutions to the South American country's political crisis. As yet no official statements have been made about the talks’ content or any possible agreements.

The Barbados talks followed talks in Oslo this May which bore no fruit.

Political unrest has been ongoing in Venezuela between elected President Maduro and opposition leader Guaido since Jan. 10.

Guaido in January proclaimed himself the rightful president of Venezuela, dismissing Maduro’s 2018 re-election as a fraud, a move recognized by more than 50 states, including the U.S.

But Venezuelan state institutions as well as the military have been putting their weight behind Maduro.

Turkey has also supported Maduro as the country’s legitimate ruler in the face of foreign-backed coup attempts.

Hampered by opposition from the army and public challenges to his legitimacy, this May Guaido and his mostly Western allies agreed to take part in the talks in Oslo.