There Will Be No Impunity for Guaido With the Dialogue: Maduro

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro affirmed that there will be no impunity for the acts committed against the State by former lawmaker Juan Guaido.

RELATED:

Venezuela: Cordial Atmosphere Marks Political Talks in Mexico

"There will not be impunity either in Mexico or on Mars. Here there will be no impunity, there must be justice, severe justice because the damage they have caused to the lives of Venezuelan families is a lot," Maduro said amid the new round of dialogues between the Venezuelan government and the opposition that is taking place in Mexico.

Maduro also recalled that the Guaido-led opposition harmed Venezuela through actions such as the theft of the oil company CITGO in the United States and the petrochemical company Monomeros in Colombia, the kidnapping of more than US$8 billion in oil assets and the theft of over US$2 billion in gold that the Venezuelan people deposited in the Bank of England.

The Bolivian leader also recalled that the sanctions against his country, which were imposed by the United States at the request of the opposition, have severely damaged the Venezuelan economy and impeded free international commercial and financial activities.

So far, the Venezuelan judicial authorities have opened 25 cases against Guaido, who is being investigated for usurpation of functions, corruption, money laundering, continued public instigation to disobedience of the laws, and aggravated embezzlement.

The president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, mentioned that the delegations taking part in the dialogues work to ensure conditions that allow the reactivation of the Venezuelan economy. The head of the opposition delegation, Gerardo Blyde, assured his group is committed to the production of agreements according to the dialogue agenda.

On August 13, the first round of talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which covers issues such as electoral guarantees and schedule, lifting of the U.S. sanctions, respect for the rule of law, political and social coexistence, and guarantees of implementation and monitoring of accords.

The second round of talks began on Sept. 3 with the facilitation of Norway and the accompaniment of Russia and the Netherlands. So far, the meetings have been held behind closed doors and this round is expected to end on Sept. 6.