Delegations from the Venezuelan government and a sector of the opposition convened in Caracas on Thursday to launch formal negotiations backed by the United States — the first face-to-face talks since President Nicolás Maduro was detained by US forces in January. The closed-door session at the La Carlota Convention Center will run until 12 August, when both sides will decide whether to continue; the agenda covers earthquake relief, democratic reform, and political rights, with the opposition seeking new elections, restructured institutions, and the release of political prisoners. The process faces internal friction, as prominent opposition figure María Corina Machado said she was excluded from the talks, while senior government official Diosdado Cabello publicly dismissed the initiative's significance.