Venezuela’s government, opposition agree to talks

Venezuela’s government and opposition leaders were set to meet Sunday in a bid to open a dialogue about the country’s deepening political crisis, both sides announced.

An agreement to hold talks was reached Saturday at a regional summit in Cartagena, Colombia. A representative from the Vatican will also take part, officials said.

“A process of dialogue is being established with opposition groups,” Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said in a speech during the Ibero- American Summit on Saturday.

Opposition leader Jesus Torrealba of the Democratic Unity Roundtable ( MUD) coalition group said late Saturday that although the dissident coalition agreed to take part in the talks, it did so with feelings of “skepticism and distrust.”

The talks were scheduled amid heightened political turmoil in Venezuela, where opposition leaders have vowed to try to hold a legislative trial to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power.

Venezuela is suffering a deep economic crisis because of falling crude prices.

The economic upheaval has fed social and political unrest, and dissidents have vowed to topple Maduro, the handpicked successor of late socialist president Hugo Chavez.

Maduro for his part has threatened to jail his political enemies, while street riots rage and food shortages persist.

Rodriguez said Sunday’s meeting aims to end “anti- constitutional, anti- democratic” actions by Venezuela’s dissidents.

Meanwhile, the MUD in a statement reiterated its demands that the government respect the constitutional right to a referendum on removing Maduro from office, and that it free imprisoned activists.