Guaidó takes a U-turn and opens up to negotiate with the government

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, the most recognised face of the anti-Chávez bloc abroad, took a 180-degree turn in his policy on Tuesday by opening himself to negotiate with the government of Nicolás Maduro, a negotiation in which he said he was even willing to discuss international sanctions with some conditions.

He launched the message in a video broadcast on his social networks, without the possibility, therefore, of receiving questions, in which he appeals to achieve a great agreement that 'must emerge through a process of negotiation between the legitimate democratic forces, the regime and the international powers'.

In it, he also calls for "the commitment of the international community to achieve Venezuela's recovery and offer incentives to the regime, including the progressive lifting of sanctions, conditional on the fulfilment of the fundamental objectives of the agreement.

Guaidó showed throughout 2020 a refusal to negotiate with the government openly, a door that was opened in 2019 and with which, then, he showed his scepticism.

At that time, the opposition had a majority in the National Assembly (NA, Parliament), but the elections of 6 December, which the sector he heads did not participate in because it considered them a fraud, ousted him from that chamber.

In the absence of the majority of the opposition in the elections, Chavism obtained 92% of the seats in the NA, which means that the parliament is now in the hands of the ruling party and is presided over by one of its strongmen, Jorge Rodríguez.

Precisely, Rodríguez has begun, on Maduro's instructions, a process of negotiations that seeks to include all sectors and in which Guaidó refused to participate.

These systematic refusals have fractured Guaidó's leadership in the opposition and strengthened the presence of other politicians such as two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, who has held talks with the government and obtained, among other things, the release of fifty political prisoners.

Guaidó, in his message, called, once again, for opposition unity and offered the possibility of renewing the leadership.

"Aspiring to leadership is legitimate and democratic. I am willing to build and participate in any mechanism that allows us to build the greatest and best possible unity and legitimises our struggle," he said.

As a starting point for these negotiations, to which the government has not yet responded, the opposition leader asked for the inclusion of a request for a "massive influx of humanitarian aid", as well as vaccines against covid-19.

So far, the government reported, through state media, the arrival of 930,000 doses of vaccines spread over several trips and dates, but last week the Minister of Health, Carlos Alvarado, said that the country has 1,480,000 units, without it being known at what time the 550,000 that make the difference were received or where they come from.

In addition, Guaidó demanded that, in the face of this possible negotiation, "democratic guarantees be granted for all political actors", both from the opposition and Chavismo.

As part of his demands, he also called for the formation of "mechanisms for re-institutionalisation", the release of political prisoners and the creation of a transitional justice mechanism.

In any case, before sitting down at the table, he gave a nod to the most critical voices, whose voice he has taken on as his own in recent months, by showing his distrust of the government and, therefore, of the implications of sitting down at the table with Chavism.

"Nobody trusts the dictatorship", stressed Guaidó, for whom dialogue "will only be possible" if they have "greater pressure, both national and international".

This role of the international community, he reiterated on several occasions, must guarantee "a negotiation process that contemplates (...) guarantees for all and also mechanisms of accountability for the regime if it tries again to evade a negotiated solution".

This leaves the ball in the court of the ruling party, which, in a strengthened position with respect to 2019, can respond to or ignore a proposal on which other opposition leaders will also have to pronounce themselves.