Vivian Sequera

Colombia’s government and left-wing National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group will reestablish peace talks next month, both parties said on Tuesday.

The Venezuelan government and the country’s opposition are getting ready to resume political talks after more than a year this weekend in Mexico, according to three people close to the matter on Wednesday.

Venezuela’s opposition national assembly on Thursday appointed three exiled lawmakers to direct it and create a commission to control foreign assets, including oil refiner Citgo Petroleum.

Venezuela’s opposition is discussing how it might move frozen funds in foreign bank accounts into a proposed United Nations-administered humanitarian fund, including moving small amounts to protect the money from creditors, four sources said.

Venezuela’s governing and opposition parties are making progress toward the creation of a $3.2 billion U.N.-administrated fund that would aim to use the country’s frozen assets for humanitarian purposes, the top lawmaker from the country’s ruling party said on Monday.

Venezuela’s opposition election commission said on Monday it will move forward with its late October primary vote to pick its presidential candidate for next year’s general election, after the country’s national electoral council sought a delay.

Former lawmaker Freddy Superlano on Friday withdrew his candidacy in Venezuela’s opposition presidential primary, throwing his support behind front-runner Maria Corina Machado and further narrowing the field of competitors just over a week before the vote.

Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Wednesday his office has launched a criminal investigation into the opposition’s weekend presidential primary, potentially risking the wrath of the U.S. which has <a href=”/world/americas/us-easing-venezuela-oil-sanctions-response-election-deal-official-2023-10-18/”>relaxed some sanctions</a> on pledges of a free and fair election.

Former lawmaker Maria Corina Machado was formally declared the victor of the Venezuelan opposition’s weekend presidential primary on Thursday, as a government official warned foreign diplomats not to interfere in the electoral process.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, visiting Venezuela on Saturday, said he had proposed to the United States that it pay an “economic stabilization” bonus to Venezuelan migrants who stop in Colombia en route to the U.S.