Venezuelan government, opposition sign 2nd partial agreement in Mexico

MEXICO CITY

The Venezuelan government and its opposition, the Venezuelan Unity Platform, on Saturday signed a second partial agreement focusing on measures for the welfare of the people, following the restart of the negotiation process in Mexico.

The stalled talks resumed after a round of negotiations on Aug. 13, 2021, also held in Mexico City, the country's capital.

The Mexican foreign minister celebrated the bilateral talks through social networks, congratulating both parties.

"It is a triumph of politics and merit to recognize the participants. Mexico is your home, congratulations! Good news for the Venezuelan people," Ebrard wrote on his Twitter account.

One of the achievements from this second round of negotiations was the release of frozen assets which will be used to address the socioeconomic turmoil in the country.

In a joint effort, the government and its opposition requested the UN to release billions of dollars held in different foreign countries through a "social protection" fund.

According to Jorge Rodríguez, a delegate representing the government of Nicolas Maduro, the resources will go to strengthen the country's health care system and secure medicines and vaccines.

He said the resources will be invested in the country's electric power service and school infrastructure and to attend to the needs derived from recent natural disasters that hit Venezuela.

Since the reopening of the dialogues between both parties in 2021, the Venezuelan government led by Maduro has insisted on lifting the economic sanctions imposed by the US and Europe, which have wreaked havoc on the Venezuelan economy and society.

In addition, the Venezuelan government delegation condemned the detention of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab by US authorities on corruption charges and whose wife Camila Fabri de Saab was part of the talks held this Saturday.

For its part, the Venezuelan Unity Platform has denounced human rights violations by the Maduro government.

According to the UN, more than 7 million Venezuelans have fled the country due to the current economic crisis plaguing the South American nation.