Venezuela is preparing for the start of US-backed political transition talks on Saturday, aimed at rebuilding democratic institutions and strengthening the electorate. However, the absence of Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition figure Maria Corina Machado has left her supporters skeptical and distrustful of the process.
The talks, announced earlier this month, will be led by interim leader Delcy Rodriguez and opposition figure Dinorah Figuera. Both political camps have been protesting ahead of the negotiations, with Machado's supporters demanding a popular vote.
Machado, who is based in Panama, has stated that she does not oppose the negotiations but will not attend. Her decision to gift her Nobel prize to US President Donald Trump has not facilitated her return to Venezuela, leading some to believe that Washington has vetoed the move—an allegation the Trump administration denies.
The current political climate in Venezuela is tense, following the US-led operation in January that deposed President Nicolas Maduro. Interim leader Rodriguez, who was Maduro's vice president, has been governing under Washington's watchful eye.
Political analyst Pedro Benitez notes that Washington is pushing for dialogue to ensure 'some basic agreements that will allow the country to reinstitutionalize itself.' However, supporters of Maduro, known as Chavistas, oppose the US-led process, denouncing it as a negotiation 'approved only by those who run the US government.'