The Government of the United States has expressed this Friday its satisfaction with the "tangible results" achieved in the third round of talks between the Venezuelan Executive and the opposition, a cycle of dialogue that has concluded with agreements to review political disqualifications and to launch a joint commission aimed at recovering the gold held in the Bank of England.
The spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, Thomas Pigott, has pointed out in a statement that "this process, led by the Venezuelans themselves, continues to strengthen democratic institutions, expanding political freedoms and laying the groundwork for the holding of free, fair, and credible elections."
In this regard, he detailed that the last round "has resulted in tangible outcomes, including the agreement to work on the review and modification of various repressive laws, in order to increase political and social freedoms, as well as to ensure the participation of all political actors," in addition to highlighting that "progress has also been made in the reconstruction of an independent Supreme Court, a process that continues with a view to the selection of 32 new magistrates."
Pigott emphasized that the dialogue between the delegations of the Government and the National Assembly elected in 2015 has meant since its inception "a strengthening of press freedom, managing to restore access to more than 70 websites that remained blocked" and has facilitated "reaching an agreement to recover gold reserves deposited in the Bank of England intended for aid after the earthquake."
Likewise, he indicated that the process "has boosted efforts to reform the repressive 'Law Against Hate'," and stressed that, since the beginning of the contacts, "a significant number of political prisoners" have been released. "We continue to urge the immediate release of all political prisoners," Pigott stated, who specified that "more than a thousand" have already been released.
On the other hand, he reiterated Washington's support for the president of the 2015 AN, Dinorah Figuera, and emphasized that the United States "maintains its commitment to support this process led by Venezuelans," framed in the "three-phase plan" promoted by the occupant of the White House, Donald Trump, for "the stabilization, economic recovery, and political reconciliation, with the aim of achieving a democratic and peaceful transition" in Venezuela.
The dialogue between both delegations is part of the political process opened in Venezuela after the offensive launched in January by U.S. troops against the South American country, which left more than a hundred dead and resulted in the capture of the president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, currently undergoing trial in the United States.
The detention of Maduro opened the way for the rise to the head of State of the then vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who now serves as interim president and has promoted a rapprochement with Washington, including a meeting in September in New York with Trump and the signing of several bilateral agreements, among them one in the field of hydrocarbons.