Venezuela's interim government and opposition concluded a first round of negotiations on Wednesday, agreeing to reform the country's top court and to seek access to frozen funds for earthquake disaster relief. The talks, held in Caracas and overseen by the United States, mark the most significant step yet in the political transition that followed the ousting of longtime authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro.
A joint statement committed both sides to "initiate a process that contributes to the transformation of the justice system", including reforms to the governing law of Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ). The TSJ had drawn widespread international criticism after validating Maduro's contested 2024 re-election despite serious fraud allegations and the absence of publicly released official results. According to reporting by El País, the two delegations also agreed to replace all sitting magistrates on the court. Notably, the joint statement made no mention of the National Electoral Council — another institution the opposition wants overhauled, as it too upheld Maduro's disputed victory.
The talks also addressed Venezuela's severe humanitarian needs following twin earthquakes on June 24 that killed more than 6,300 people. Both sides agreed to seek the release of Venezuelan reserve assets held at the Bank of England — funds that the Maduro government had tried and failed to access for years — with the statement calling for "mechanisms for transparency, traceability, and auditing" to ensure their proper use.
The interim government was represented by Jorge Rodriguez, head of the National Assembly and brother of interim president Delcy Rodriguez — herself Maduro's former vice president, who has led the country with Washington's backing and drawn praise from US President Donald Trump. The opposition delegation was led by Dinorah Figuera, head of the political bloc that won a majority in the 2015 National Assembly, the last legislature elected in a vote broadly recognised as free and fair by the international community. Conspicuously absent was Nobel Peace Prize laureate and exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has said she will not obstruct the process. Some commentators have suggested Trump vetoed her participation, an allegation Washington denies.
An anonymous opposition source struck a cautious note, comparing the interim government to Nicaragua's authoritarian administration and warning that "there is no naivete" in the delegation's approach. The source indicated that formal election announcements are unlikely until judicial and electoral reforms are complete, and stressed the need to revise anti-terrorism and dissent laws previously used to persecute political prisoners. The two sides are expected to reconvene in mid-September. "We are in this process to achieve a democratic and free Venezuela," Figuera wrote on social media ahead of Wednesday's conclusion.