Chavismo hardens the tone and conditions the dialogue to the lifting of US sanctions

Jorge Rodriguez with Rafael Correa, this Thursday in Caracas. Carlos Becerra (Bloomberg)

The Chavista staff has decided to toughen the tone in its political negotiations with the Venezuelan opposition.

Jorge Rodríguez, current president of the National Assembly, and one of the most influential men in the high Bolivarian government, has conditioned the signing of any agreement at the negotiating table in Mexico on the United States definitively lifting, and without conditions, all sanctions economic against the country.

"I affirm it responsibly: Venezuela is not going to sign any agreement with that sector of the Venezuelan opposition until it is one hundred percent free of sanctions, until the 765 unilateral coercive measures signed by Donald Trump and Barack Obama are lifted," he said. Rodríguez, who described as "immoral" that those who "requested international sanctions against Venezuela, now call for free and fair elections."

These words were heard in an act organized by the Government in Plaza Bolívar, in downtown Caracas, within the framework of Anti-Imperialism Day.

Rodríguez assured that Chavismo "is not afraid of any election" and that those who requested international sanctions against the country must answer to justice, referring to opposition politicians.

He added that "the dialogues are not for pardons, but to agree, in the terms that can be agreed, free, fair, competitive, democratic elections and without forgetting."

The statements by Rodríguez –considered one of the bishops of the political and “moderate” wing of the command of Nicolás Maduro- come at a time when the dialogue table in Mexico is anesthetized, in a deadlock for weeks.

The government of Nicolás Maduro has gone from less to more, progressively hardening its tone and conditions towards its adversaries as the months progress.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan opposition parties are working on the election of a unitary candidate in the primaries next October.

At the Miraflores Palace, no one hides their annoyance at the delay in unblocking the measures approved by both parties to direct the nation's resources frozen abroad, which must be used to address the country's social emergency, and which were going to be administered by the United Nations.

The money, for now, has not started to circulate, and President Nicolás Maduro blames the United States for delaying it.

The United States has made several concessions to the Venezuelan revolutionary government in recent times: the release of two nephews of the first lady, Cilia Flores, imprisoned on drug trafficking charges;

the lifting of sanctions against businessman Eric Malpica Flores, another nephew of the president's wife, and the concession granted to Chevron to reactivate crude oil production in the country, which could bring new agreements in tow.

For Miraflores, what has been granted by the United States so far is not enough.

A few weeks ago, Maduro himself attended

an opinion program run by Diosdado Cabello, the second in command of the regime, and both mocked the opposition leadership and the announcement of primaries.

“I have told Jorge Rodríguez, with these people (the Venezuelan opposition) there is no point in negotiating anything, that is wasting time, they have no word.

They only obey orders from the United States,” Maduro said.

Pedro Benítez, historian and political analyst, considers that this rise in tone "is part of a characteristic style of the Maduro government in these cases: shouting and vociferating to obtain space, to buy time, always with the threat ahead."

“They haven't done badly that way,” he adds.

Among the opposition delegation they have preferred to take these statements calmly.

Some spokesmen, who prefer not to be identified, interpret what was said as "a move forward."

Follow all the international information on