At the initiative of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the dialogue with the opposition to end the crisis was suspended on Wednesday (July 7th).

The socialist leader responds to the economic sanctions announced by the White House. Donald Trump had ordered on Monday a total freeze of the goods in the United States of the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro, that Washington wishes to leave the power.

"Although the opposition delegation nominated by MP Juan Guaido is already in Barbados for the week's talks scheduled for this week, President Nicolas Maduro has decided not to send the Venezuelan delegation on this occasion, because the serious and brutal aggression perpetrated continuously and retorted by the Trump administration against Venezuela, "Caracas said in an official statement.

In a Wednesday telephone interview with state-owned VTV, the Venezuelan president, noting that the opposition had applauded the new US sanctions, concluded that one could not negotiate under these conditions.

"We noted with deep indignation that the head of the opposition delegation, Juan Guaido, celebrates, promotes and supports those actions that undermine the sovereignty of our country and the most basic human rights of its inhabitants," he said. the press release.

"Protecting Venezuelans"

Opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself Venezuela's interim president in January and has been recognized by more than 50 countries, including the United States, welcomed Tuesday. Washington's freeze on government property.

On Twitter, he said the US move was aimed at "protecting Venezuelans" and once again accused Nicolas Maduro of usurping power because his current term comes out of a presidential election that opposition considers it tainted by fraud.

On Wednesday, he assured that the sanctions would strike the Chavist leaders and not the citizens. "They are directed against the regime, against Maduro," he said during a small ceremony in an upscale neighborhood of eastern Caracas.

"There is a national and international strategy, led by Venezuela, to put an end to the suffering of our people," he added.

"Economic Terrorism"

In the wake of the announcement of a freeze on US property, the latest in a series of US economic sanctions against Nicolas Maduro's power, which includes an oil embargo, Caracas accused Washington of "economic terrorism" and to seek to provoke a rupture of the dialogue with the opposition.

On Wednesday, as thousands of supporters of Nicolas Maduro marched in Caracas to denounce US sanctions, the Venezuelan Defense Minister, General Vladimir Padrino, demanded that justice punishes those in Venezuela who are in favor of the measures. taken by the Trump administration.

"Impunity is enough!" The minister wrote on Twitter. "Those who started the 'game' of demanding sanctions against the nation (...) with shabby political goals must be punished by law."

The dialogue suspended, but not broken

However, the government says it will not leave the negotiating table: "Venezuela is preparing to review the mechanisms of this process so that they agree with the interests of our people."

After exploratory contacts and a first meeting in mid-May in Oslo, discussions between the two camps resumed in Barbados on 8 July. The delegations were to meet on the Caribbean island for further talks on Thursday and Friday, still under the auspices of Norway.

In a statement released on Friday, the Norwegian government said the government and opposition delegates had pledged to find a "constitutional" solution to the Venezuelan crisis.

Under the presidency of Nicolas Maduro, heir to President Hugo Chavez (1999-2013), Venezuela has plunged into the most serious economic, social and political crisis of its modern history. Some 3.3 million Venezuelans have been exiled since 2015, according to the UN.

With AFP