On August 12, President and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue Rebecca Bill Chavez spoke about the secrecy surrounding Venezuela’s ongoing negotiations, the exclusion of Maria Corina Machado from the talks, and what’s needed for a democratic transition.

Comments from Chavez:

“One of the main concerns is that Maria Corina Machado is not at the table, even though she and Edmundo Gonzalez were elected in 2024. She is the person with the mandate and the legitimacy.”

“The release of political prisoners cannot wait. The U.S. has leverage and should use it. Right now, there are over 380 political prisoners still behind bars in horrible conditions.”

“For a democratic transition to take place, there needs to be, first of all, a clear timetable for elections. That is something I very much hope comes out of this first round. Elections will involve a lot of work, because the Venezuelan electoral authority has been thoroughly captured by the regime.”

“These talks have been characterized by secrecy from day one, and there’s growing skepticism about them. There have been no reports, no readouts after each day’s discussions.”