Venezuela talks to resume this week: Opposition

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - A representative of Venezuela's opposition leader in the U.S. said the government and opposition will resume talks this week to resolve political unrest in the South American country.

However, according to the Washington Post, Carlos Vecchio did not specify the date and venue of the meeting.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Carlos Vecchio said he expects a resolution to the impasse by the end of the year, adding that Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is "an obstacle for peace" and that he must leave the office.

Hampered by opposition from the Venezuelan army and popular challenges to his legitimacy, opposition leader Juan Guaido's delegation took part in Oslo and Barbados initiatives for talks with the government.

Although the Oslo talks in May bore no fruit, the sides have yet to make a clear statement about the content of the Barbados talks held earlier this month.

While Guaido maintains his harsh rhetoric against the government despite the ongoing "peace negotiations", Maduro and his delegation call the dialogue process "successful".

- Russia not attending Peru meeting

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday announced that Moscow will not participate in a separate international meeting on the political crisis in Venezuela, which is set to be held in Lima, Peru on Aug. 6.

Russia "carefully" analyzed the goals and objectives set by the organizers and "has a number of serious doubts", the ministry said in a statement.

"First of all, we are not convinced of the correctness of the approach in which the discussion of the 'problems of democracy' in Venezuela will take place without Venezuelans, represented by the government of Maduro and other political forces," it said, referring to the Peru's decision to not invite Venezuela's government and the opposition to "prevent polarization".

"We are not sure that a one-day meeting with the declared participation of about 100 delegations, having different positions, can design the measures of real assistance in finding solutions to the complex problems this country is dealing with," it added.

Earlier July, Peru invited 100 countries including Turkey, Russia, and China to attend the meeting on political unrest in Venezuela .

Political unrest has been ongoing in Venezuela between Maduro and Juan 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 countries, including the U.S.

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

Russia, Turkey, China, Iran, Bolivia and Mexico also supported Maduro as the country’s legitimate ruler.

*Elena Teslova from Moscow contributed to this story.