The National Assembly of Venezuela has made public this Tuesday an agreement to launch a joint "roadmap" with the opposition in order to face the reconstruction of the country after the double earthquake of last June 24. Members of the parallel opposition Parliament established in 2015 will also participate in this plan.
"Within the framework of the call for national unity to face together the consequences of the seismic double event that grieves us, and for the purpose of strengthening democracy, we announce the start of a joint work plan with former members of the National Assembly from 2015-2020 starting next August first," said the Parliament presided over by Jorge Rodríguez in a statement.
The Chamber has stressed that "the unanimous international" support for the Venezuelan people and the Government "to face the tragedy" has made it clear that "only in unity" can they "advance in reconstruction and in maintaining peace."
In parallel, the opposition Parliament established in 2015 has ratified through another statement the implementation of this common agenda, whose purpose is to "promote stability, democracy, and national recovery, constituting itself as the beginning of the construction of a new stage that will lead to a Venezuela of progress and freedoms."
As they have explained, the plan aims to strengthen "democratic institutions, the electoral system, and the reestablishment of guarantees for political participation." "The emergency caused by the earthquakes has highlighted the importance of acting with unity, responsibility, and a vision for the future," it has pointed out.
In this regard, it has been emphasized that the support of countries such as the United States shows that Venezuela "is not alone." "We reaffirm our commitment to continue advancing on this roadmap through technical and institutional work to contribute to the reconstruction of the country," it has stressed.
The National Assembly of 2015 has extended its recognition to Washington "for its firm support to the Venezuelan people, both in the immediate response to the humanitarian emergency and in its accompaniment of efforts aimed at the country's recovery, the consolidation of stability, and the strengthening of Venezuela's democratic institutional framework."
The former opposition deputy Dinorah Figuera, who succeeded Juan Guaidó at the head of the opposition Assembly, has assured in a message disseminated on her social networks that she assumes "the commitment and political will to promote a bilateral technical and political roadmap".
This work scheme, she has specified, will be supported "by a work agenda with concrete objectives and milestones that allows addressing the fundamental issues to consolidate the path towards the recovery of democracy in Venezuela". "We raise the flags of faith and hope," she said, without offering further details.
The announcement -- which has been republished on the personal social networks of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio -- is interpreted as the start of contacts with the government of the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, with the objective of advancing towards a democratic transition after the earthquakes, which have caused more than 4,560 deaths and 16,740 injured.
This move overlaps with the three-phase plan recently proposed by the Trump Administration, focused on the stabilization of the country and national reconciliation between Chavismo and the opposition, as well as the holding of eventual elections after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation carried out last January in Caracas.