Maduro Welcomes Dialogue Process in Venezuela from US Custody

Caracas – 02/08/2026: Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is imprisoned in the United States, has welcomed the dialogue between representatives of state institutions and parts of the opposition. In a message distributed on Sunday through his official Telegram channel, Maduro described national renewal as a shared goal and called for mutual respect. Any path that strengthens peace, coexistence and understanding among Venezuelans deserves support.

The statement refers to a new round of negotiations that began in Caracas on 1 August. The National Assembly led by Jorge Rodríguez is participating on behalf of the current state leadership. Facing it are former members of the National Assembly elected in 2015, led by its former president Dinorah Figuera. According to the US government, the United States intends to support the process.

The participants aim to develop a joint agenda for democratic institutions, political rights and the country’s economic recovery. The talks follow several earlier mediation efforts that did not produce a lasting agreement between the government and the opposition. This time, however, the starting point has changed fundamentally: Maduro has been in US custody since January, while Delcy Rodríguez is leading Venezuela on an interim basis.

US forces detained Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during an operation in Venezuela on 3 January 2026 and took them to the United States. According to US Congressional documents, Washington bases its actions on charges of drug trafficking and other offences. Maduro rejects the allegations. His Sunday message contains neither comments on his criminal proceedings nor a demand for a personal role in the negotiations.

The appeal is therefore directed primarily at the Chavista camp, where Maduro continues to wield political influence. The acting leadership relies on key state institutions and its parliamentary majority. Parts of the opposition, by contrast, are demanding reforms to the electoral and judicial systems. Broad representation of government opponents has not yet been ensured: opposition politician María Corina Machado has rejected participation in the Washington-backed talks.

The negotiations begin against the backdrop of years of political confrontation marked by repression, disputed elections, cases of political imprisonment and institutional deadlock. In February, the National Assembly passed an amnesty law which, according to official information, was intended to enable the release of numerous people imprisoned for political reasons. The first meeting of the new round concluded with the stated aim of preparing a democratic transition and institutional reforms; binding guarantees for political participation or future elections were not initially announced.