International

Venezuela’s Maduro to resume talks with opposition Friday

Photo: Federico Parra / AFP

| By AFP | Esteban Rojas with Lina Vanegas en Bogota |

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government will resume talks with the opposition Friday after more than a year in a bid to resolve a political crisis that has gripped the country since a contested 2018 election.

Formal negotiations between the two sides last took place in October 2021 in Mexico, and international efforts have mounted in recent months to get the talks back on track.

The opposition is seeking free and fair presidential elections, next due in 2024, while Caracas wants the international community to recognize Maduro as the rightful president and lift sanctions.

“Dialogue between Maduro’s government and the Venezuelan opposition will resume on the 25th and 26th of November,” Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro wrote on Twitter.

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Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaido’s office, however, tweeted that “information about a possible agreement and restart of the negotiations will be announced by official sources,” or by “the facilitating country, Norway.”

“Speculation hinders the possibility of a deal,” the office said.

While Colombia’s Petro did not specify where the talks would take place, a Venezuelan opposition source close to the negotiations told AFP the delegations would meet in Mexico City on Friday.

Venezuela was already facing a severe economic crisis and a brutal government crackdown on protests when a contested presidential election in 2018 plunged it into a political impasse.

Maduro declared himself the victor of the poll, which was widely seen as fraudulent, prompting massive protests.

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Meanwhile, almost 60 countries, including the United States, recognized opposition leader Guaido as Venezuela’s acting president.

The US and the European Union imposed painful sanctions on Venezuela, worsening an economy that has seen roaring inflation in recent years, prompting millions to flee the country.

One measure prevented Venezuela from trading its crude oil — which accounted for 96 percent of the country’s revenues — on the US market.

Ukraine war sparks new impetus

After two prior negotiation efforts failed, the most recent round of talks between the government and opposition started in August 2021 in Mexico.

However, Maduro suspended the negotiations two months later in retaliation for the extradition to the United States by Cape Verde of Alex Saab, a Colombian national accused of acting as a money launderer for the Venezuelan socialist leader.

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Earlier this month, negotiators for both sides met in Paris under the mediation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

International efforts to resolve the Venezuelan crisis have gained strength since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the pressure it has placed on global energy supplies.

US President Joe Biden’s administration announced in May it would ease some sanctions as energy prices surged due to the war.

At the same time, Guaido’s influence has ebbed, and he has lost key allies both at home and in the region, where many countries have since elected leftist presidents.

Colombia’s Petro has become a new actor in the talks since becoming his country’s first leftist president in August.

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He has worked to improve his country’s relationship with Venezuela, resuming diplomatic ties for the first time since 2019, when former president Ivan Duque refused to recognize Maduro’s election.

Venezuela is now also hosting peace talks between the Colombian government and the last official rebel group in the country, the National Liberation Army.

Related Topics:Colombia Maduro Venezuela

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International

Two Police Officers Shot During Road Clearance Operation in Eastern Bolivia

At least two police officers were wounded by gunfire on Saturday during an operation to clear roadblocks in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz region, which has remained partially cut off for 24 days amid protests demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz.

The joint operation involving the Police and the Armed Forces began at 6:00 a.m. local time near the town of San Julián, approximately 117 kilometers northeast of Santa Cruz city. The effort focused on reopening an alternative highway linking the region with Beni and western Bolivia.

According to Santa Cruz Police Commander David Gómez, protesters initially responded aggressively to the security operation.

“Local groups organized themselves and began attacking us brutally with firecrackers, stones, and other objects,” Gómez told reporters. “We used chemical agents in an attempt to disperse the crowd, which was behaving aggressively.”

Authorities initially succeeded in reopening the roadway, allowing vehicles to pass through. However, protesters later regrouped and engaged in renewed clashes with police forces that lasted for more than four hours.

During the confrontation, gunshots were heard, forcing both police and military personnel to withdraw from the area.

Gómez reported that one officer suffered a gunshot wound to the head, while another was struck in the right thigh. Both officers were evacuated for medical treatment.

The police commander stated that demonstrators not only carried out physical attacks against officers but also used firearms during the confrontation, prompting authorities to order a tactical retreat.

The incident marks a significant escalation in tensions surrounding the ongoing protests in Santa Cruz, where demonstrators have maintained roadblocks for more than three weeks as part of their campaign against the government.

International

U.S. to invest $700 million in coal plants and mines under Trump initiative

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a $700 million funding package aimed at supporting the American coal industry, marking the latest step in his administration’s efforts to boost the use of the fossil fuel.

According to Trump, the funding will be used to keep 14 coal-fired power plants operating across ten states, maintain 42 coal mines, and support the construction of two new power plants and an export terminal.

The president said the initiative will be financed through the Defense Production Act, a law enacted in 1950 that grants emergency powers to the president to support and direct domestic industries considered critical to national interests.

Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has pursued policies designed to expand domestic energy production and roll back a number of environmental regulations. He has also repeatedly questioned the scientific consensus regarding human-caused climate change.

Coal remains the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions among major energy sources, making it a central focus of debates over climate policy and energy security.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the initiative, describing coal as a critical resource for both electricity generation and industrial production.

The announcement comes as global energy markets continue to evolve. According to an analysis by the Global Energy Monitor, the world added and commissioned more coal-fired power capacity in 2025, although overall coal consumption declined. The report also found that the United States was the only major economy to record a significant increase in coal-fired power generation during that period.

The new funding package underscores the administration’s commitment to supporting traditional energy industries while debate continues over the balance between energy security, economic growth and environmental objectives.

International

Four decapitated bodies found in abandoned vehicle near Guerrero state Congress

Police in Mexico have found four decapitated bodies inside an abandoned vehicle parked near the state Congress building in Guerrero, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

The southern state of Guerrero, home to the resort city of Acapulco, has long been affected by violent clashes between criminal organizations competing for control of drug trafficking routes.

According to prosecutors cited by AFP, the bodies were wrapped in black plastic bags and left inside a car parked at one of the rear entrances of the legislative building in the state capital, Chilpancingo.

Authorities say the region has seen intensified conflict between rival drug trafficking groups, including the Sierra Cartel and Los Ardillos, a criminal organization that Indigenous communities have accused of carrying out attacks in the mountainous, impoverished areas of the state.

The ongoing violence highlights the persistent security crisis in Guerrero, where organized crime continues to exert significant influence over large parts of the territory.