The United States welcomes the conclusion of the third round of political reconciliation talks between Venezuela’s 2015 National Assembly, led by Dr. Dinorah Figuera and the interim government. This Venezuelan-led process continues to strengthen democratic institutions, expand political freedoms, and lay the groundwork for free, fair, and credible elections.
This latest round delivered tangible results including agreement to work to review and revise several repressive laws to increase political and social freedom and guarantee the participation of all political actors. It also furthered progress on rebuilding an independent Supreme Court, which continues to advance towards the selection of 32 new judges. Since the beginning of the reconciliation talks, this process has also strengthened press freedoms, restoring access to more than 70 previously blocked websites, produced an agreement to recover gold holdings in the Bank of England for earthquake relief, and advanced efforts to reform the repressive Law Against Hatred. The interim government has also released a significant number of political prisoners since the reconciliation process began, for a total of more than 1,000 released since Operation Absolute Resolve. We continue to urge for the immediate release of all political prisoners.
During his October 9 meeting with Dr. Figuera, Secretary Rubio commended her courageous leadership and urged continued progress on political freedoms and electoral reform. The Trump Administration remains committed to supporting this Venezuelan-led process as part of President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s three-phase plan for stabilization, economic recovery, and political reconciliation leading to a peaceful democratic transition.