International

Chavismo rejects the opposition’s call for a “serious negotiation”

Chavismo rejected this Thursday, again, the call for a “serious negotiation” by the main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), which claims to have won the presidential elections of July 28, in which Nicolás Maduro has been proclaimed re-elected president.

The president of the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), Jorge Rodríguez, responded in a press conference – broadcast by the state channel Venezolana de Televisión – that Chavismo will maintain a “political dialogue” exclusively through the Chamber, which opened this Thursday a process of consultations without the participation of the PUD, despite having been invited.

“We are not going to accept tables, private meetings, secret meetings, chaplants, or anywhere other than the Federal Legislative Palace,” said the deputy, who called the flag bearer of the PUD in the presidential elections, Edmundo González Urrutia, exiled in Spain since September 8.

In this way, Rodríguez, one of the leaders of Chavismo, responded to the appeal of the opposition, which reiterated its invitation to the Government to start a direct dialogue for January 10, when the next presidential period begins.

“Here (in the AN), on January 10, the president-elect on July 28, 2024 will be sworn in, so that it is clear to them. Stop thinking about stupid things and nonsense. That’s going to happen, write it in stone,” remarked the Chavista, who presides over a Chamber controlled by deputies related to Maduro.

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Sectors of the opposition interested in dialogue with Chavismo?

He also assured that some parties that make up the PUD, whose identities he did not reveal, considered the possibility of participating in the “political dialogue” that began this Thursday, with which the Parliament hopes to adjust the electoral laws, but – he said – the opposition leader María Corina Machado, the main advocate of González Urrutia, imposed the decision not to answer the call of the Legislature.

International

Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela

Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.

In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.

For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.

“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.

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International

Trump says Iran seeks new talks after failed negotiations in Pakistan

Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran has reached out to United States to resume negotiations, following the collapse of recent talks held in Islamabad.

“We’ve been contacted by the other side,” Trump told reporters, adding that Iran is eager to reach a deal “at all costs.” Speaking from the Oval Office, he reiterated that his main objective is to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and warned that he will not allow Iran to “blackmail” the international community.

After negotiations between Washington and Tehran ended without agreement on Sunday, Trump announced that the U.S. would move to block the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade.

The waterway had already been disrupted by Iran in response to a U.S. and Israeli offensive launched on February 28, causing significant shocks to the global economy.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump further warned that any Iranian vessel attempting to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the strait would be “eliminated immediately.”

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The renewed tensions have pushed oil prices higher, while global stock markets have reacted negatively to the lack of an agreement in Islamabad.

International

Trump orders U.S. control of Strait of Hormuz after failed Iran talks

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz“effective immediately,” following the collapse of negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. Navy to block vessels attempting to enter or exit the strategic waterway, a key route for global energy trade.

“The meeting went well, agreement was reached on most points, but the only really important one — nuclear weapons — was not approved,” Trump said, referring to the talks with Iranian representatives.

The president also stated that he had instructed authorities to intercept ships in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait, calling such payments “illegal.” He further accused Tehran of hindering an agreement by deploying mines in the area, describing the move as “international extortion.”

Trump added that the United States will undertake efforts to clear mines from the strait and expressed confidence that a future agreement ensuring free navigation could eventually be reached.

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The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed the president on the outcome of the negotiations, considered the highest-level contacts between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While Trump acknowledged that enough progress had been made to maintain a temporary truce, he criticized Iran for remaining unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling its position “very inflexible” on the central issue.