Shifts in Venezuela-US Talks Signal New Phase in Diplomacy

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The United States and Venezuela again signaled a shift away from the deepest points of conflict this Wednesday, hinting at a pragmatic recalibration in their bilateral relationship. A decision by American justice freed Colombian-born businessman Alex Saab, who has been linked to multi-million-dollar operations conducted on Caracas’s behalf. Saab, extradited from Cape Verde in 2021, has long been viewed by supporters as a key figure in the Venezuela-Maduro circle of influence. The Maduro administration publicly disputes that Saab’s activities reflect any official endorsement. The exchange rate and currency discussions were part of a broader effort by Caracas to open negotiations with the opposition, easing internal tensions. Venezuela’s leadership also signaled a possible release of ten US nationals or dual nationals, including two former Green Berets who had joined a rebel-focused effort that emerged during the May 2020 political crisis. Juan Guaidó, later proclaimed by his supporters as the interim president of Venezuela, remains a central symbol in the opposition’s narrative.

The Miraflores Palace described Saab as part of a delegation aimed at reducing political strife with the opposition during talks held in Mexico, a channel that had grown more tense since 2014. Saab faced federal charges in the United States over allegations of laundering roughly 350 million dollars through the Venezuelan exchange-control regime. While Washington leaned toward maintaining Saab in prison, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry pursued its own criteria, signaling a potential shift in how the two countries approach justice, diplomacy, and economic policy.

Under the Biden administration, there is interest in Saab’s potential return to Venezuela as a strategic move. It could ease migration pressures—millions of Venezuelans have left the country in recent years—while also aimed at limiting the alignment between Maduro’s camp and Russia, a partnership viewed with concern by Washington. A broader objective is to influence the implementation of the Barbados agreement, which seeks to foster a transparent and orderly electoral process later in 2024. The Kremlin, meanwhile, announced that Maduro’s trip to Russia had been postponed, with officials saying new dates are being discussed and that a visit will likely not occur before year-end.

Other negotiations

In 2022, Venezuela and the United States already reached a crucial exchange that drew wide international attention. Two nephews of Cilia Flores, Efraín Campo Flores and Franqui Flores de Freitas, accused of drug trafficking, returned to Venezuela as part of the deal. The United States released seven American detainees in exchange for Caracas’s cooperation, a transaction that reshaped perceptions on both sides. During the same period, Washington authorized American and European oil entities to participate more freely in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, a move that began to influence the country’s struggling economy. Maduro described this moment as a new phase in relations with Washington, noting that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the global hydrocarbons market helped facilitate the agreement.

Around Saab’s case, the Madurismo government in Caracas is also anticipated to announce the release of several political prisoners. Just days earlier, Roberto Abdul, a figure tied to the October opposition primaries that Caracas had described as fraudulent, was detained. Officials in Caracas indicated that more political gestures would likely unfold before the year ends, signaling a broader strategy to ease domestic tensions while navigating international diplomacy.

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