The United States and Spain support Juan Guaidó's proposal

The surprising announcement by Juan Guaidó, who announced on Tuesday that he is willing to negotiate with Nicolás Maduro in search of a national salvation agreement, has stirred the waters of the stagnant Venezuelan political crisis.. One of the most anticipated reactions to this 180-degree turn is that of the United States, which has specified its “one hundred percent” support for the initiative of the president in charge, as Juan González, Joe's adviser, made clear on his Twitter account. Biden for Latin America.

“We support Juan Guaidó and the efforts of the Venezuelan opposition to peacefully restore democracy in Venezuela through free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections.. The only solution to this crisis is a comprehensive agreement that leads to a democratic outcome that Venezuelans want and deserve,” said Julie Chung, Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the Department of State..

The official from Washington, in turn, took up the words of Ambassador James Story, who also emphasized the preconditions that the US has imposed on Caracas for future negotiations that some believe have already begun through senators and congressmen: release of political prisoners , greater access to humanitarian aid, freedom of the press, rehabilitation of political parties and the cessation of attacks against civil society.

All these points are also included in the National Salvation Agreement. The US, together with the international community, is willing to “continue pressing to achieve concrete progress”.

At stake are the sanctions that the US has imposed on the revolution, excluding the personal sanctions against the Chavista leaders.. Guaidó himself announced on Tuesday that, in return, the regime would obtain its main demand in recent months: the progressive lifting of sanctions, conditional on compliance with the stated objectives..

One of the proposals of the majority opposition is the creation of an “accountability mechanism” if the regime tries to evade a negotiated solution again, as has already happened in all previous negotiations.

“The Biden Administration is being consistent in insisting on the conditions, which implies the ratification of the power of the opposition to make decisions, with the accompaniment of the United States.. It is the Venezuelan people who must decide the steps to follow,” says María Puerta Riera, a professor of American Government in Florida..

The political scientist adds that Biden is playing on two stages, international and domestic. “In the first, seek to recover the role of promoting democracy. And in the second, dealing with the progressive wing, which does not want intervention, and with the radical wing (Cubans and Venezuelans), before the 2022 elections, where the majority in Congress is in dispute.”.

A similar calculation is made in Brussels and Madrid, where they believe that Washington will not make a loud move until after those elections and will let other actors, such as Norway or the European Union, be in charge of leading the dialogues..

Madrid also gave its approval to the agreement proposed by the opposition leader, a reaction valued positively by Guaidó, as EL MUNDO learned. The Spanish commitment to “a negotiated solution with Venezuelan leadership and international accompaniment that leads to democratic reinstitutionalization through the holding of democratic presidential, legislative and sub-state elections,” a source from the Foreign Ministry told Efe.. Guaidó's proposal incorporates “all these elements”, adds the agency.