Venezuela Government and Opposition Agree to Lift Sanctions on Journalists
Venezuela's government and opposition agreed in Caracas to lift administrative measures on news outlets and advance judicial reform, as talks toward a political transition continue.
Representatives of Venezuela's government and opposition announced in Caracas on Friday that they would lift administrative measures affecting journalists and media outlets, the latest outcome of a formal dialogue process aimed at steering the country toward a political transition.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, said the agreement was reached at a table focused on freedom of expression, plural thought and the right to information. He said the national government would continue and expand the lifting of administrative measures on news portals, websites and electronic media, describing the step as a contribution to strengthening freedom of expression.
The announcement followed earlier moves in September, when the government lifted restrictions on social media and ordered that access to local and international news websites be restored.
Opposition representative Dinorah Figueroa, who has spent nearly eight years in exile, said the two sides had agreed to move forward at the next regular session of the National Assembly with the appointment of the preliminary commission of the judicial nominations committee. She said a timeline for the corresponding procedure would be published, and that the sides would continue reviewing legislative measures needed to transform the judicial system.
Friday's meeting concluded the second round of talks, after the two sides began formal negotiations in August. At their previous meeting, they announced plans to reform the judicial system and the process for appointing justices to the Supreme Court. That effort follows a reform approved by the National Assembly in early September, which ordered an increase in committee members; the body now consists of 12 civil society representatives and 11 lawmakers.
The dialogue has unfolded alongside a shifting political landscape. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, in her first address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, promised elections in Venezuela and described the talks with the opposition as a process based on equal conditions for all.
She took office after a surprise U.S. military raid in January captured then-leader Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. Since assuming power, she has built a close working relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, and Washington's influence in Venezuela has grown following the lifting of sanctions against her in April — one of several recent moves recognizing her as a legitimate authority since the capture of her predecessor.