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Venezuelan National Assembly Deputy Speaker Edgar Zambrano received by supporters after his release from prison in Caracas on Tuesday, September 17, 2019. REUTERS / Daniel Blanco

In Venezuela, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Edgar Zambrano, was released on Tuesday, 17 September. He was arrested in the wake of the failed military uprising of April 30 against President Nicolas Maduro. This release is the result of an agreement between the government and several minority opposition parties. An agreement rejected by the current President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, who claims to be interim president.

With our correspondent in Caracas, Benjamin Delille

For a part of the Venezuelan opposition , the release of Edgar Zambrano has a bitter taste. Although they welcome his release, many MPs seem to regret that it is the result of an agreement they do not recognize. Starting with Juan Guaido , for whom it is " citizen and international pressure " that explains this release, and not " the kindness " of the government.

Liberación de Zambrano y los presos políticos es una victoria of the presión ciudadana, internacional e informs Bachelet, no una "gentileza" of dictadura.
Lo dijimos hoy: jamás debieron estar tras las rejas. They are a logro of quienes no rendimos.
¡Libertad para Venezuela! pic.twitter.com/q3xBL7hYZW

Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) September 17, 2019

However, the statement of the public prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, specifies that this release is part of the agreement on Monday, September 16 with several minority parties of the opposition. This agreement provides in particular for the return of the Chavist minority to the National Assembly, which has not been in office since 2016. To this end, the government promises more releases and a debate on the composition of the National Electoral Council (CNE), considered biased by the opposition and its international allies.

Two days after announcing the failure of negotiations under the auspices of Norway, the opposition seems more divided than ever. Evidenced by the first words of Edgar Zambrano once free. While denouncing the conditions of his incarceration, he recalled that the only mechanism to break the impasse is dialogue.

►Also read: Venezuela: several deputies arrested after April 30 uprising attempt