President Nicolas Maduro promised Monday to show "good faith" ahead of a meeting in Norway between representatives of his government and those of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelas-guaido-defends-planned-talks-with-maduro-representatives-221944">opposition leader Juan Guaido</a>.

"We are going to be showing our very best good faith... to be able to find, based on the platform the parties agreed on, peaceful, democratic solutions to help overcome Venezuela's conflict," Maduro said in a televised address.

The talks in Norway this week will be the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-opposition-to-meet-nicolas-maduro-envoys-in-oslo-guaido-221654">first face-to-face meeting</a> between representatives of Maduro and those of his rival Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by some 50 countries.

Maduro confirmed that his delegation will include Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez, Miranda state Governor Hector Rodriguez and Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, who were on the ground in Norway.&nbsp;

"This is a dialogue between the Revolutionary Government, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the extremist opposition... which is trying to topple the government at the behest of US interests," Maduro said.

The bid for talks comes after a months-long power struggle between Guaido, the leader of the National Assembly legislature, and the socialist president.

Guaido's backers dismiss Maduro's presidency as "illegitimate" following his re-election last year in polls widely labeled as rigged.

Maduro, who has presided over the country's economic collapse, has been shunned by much of the international community, but retains the backing of Russia, China and Cuba, as well as the country's powerful military.

Watch: Charities use cryptocurrency to send aid to Venezuela

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President Nicolas Maduro promised Monday to show "good faith" ahead of a meeting in Norway between representatives of his government and those of opposition leader Juan Guaido.

President Nicolas Maduro promised Monday to show "good faith" ahead of a meeting in Norway between representatives of his government and those of opposition leader Juan Guaido. "We are going to be showing our very best good faith... to be able to find, based on the platform the parties agreed on, peaceful, democratic solutions to help overcome Venezuela's conflict," Maduro said in a televised address. The talks in Norway this week will be the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of Maduro and those of his rival Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by some 50 countries. Maduro confirmed that his delegation will include Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez, Miranda state Governor Hector Rodriguez and Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, who were on the ground in Norway. "This is a dialogue between the Revolutionary Government, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the extremist opposition... which is trying to topple the government at the behest of US interests," Maduro said. The bid for talks comes after a months-long power struggle between Guaido, the leader of the National Assembly legislature, and the socialist president. Guaido's backers dismiss Maduro's presidency as "illegitimate" following his re-election last year in polls widely labeled as rigged. Maduro, who has presided over the country's economic collapse, has been shunned by much of the international community, but retains the backing of Russia, China and Cuba, as well as the country's powerful military. Watch: Charities use cryptocurrency to send aid to Venezuela ×

Maduro pledges 'good faith' ahead of talks with opposition in Norway

In the first open dialogue between the rival political parties in Venezuela in nearly a year, representatives from the socialist Maduro government and the opposition leaders met for crisis talks late on Sunday.&nbsp;

The landmark talks being held in the presence of the Vatican envoys is aimed at defusing an increasingly tense political crisis in the country.

Among those on hand for the talks held on the outskirts of Caracas were President Nicolas Maduro and members of the opposition, including Jesus Torrealba, the leader of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) umbrella group.&nbsp;

Reaching out to the the MUD, Maduro assured &quot;total commitment to the dialogue process&quot; and said that all parties should do their &quot;utmost to move forward in a progressive, sustained way&quot;.&nbsp;

But the talks have been fraught with disagreement among the opposition coalition, with some senior MUD leaders expressing feelings of &quot;skepticism and distrust&quot; and warning that the &quot;conditions are not in place for dialogue&quot;.&nbsp;

The opposition parties blame Maduro for the country&#39;s economic crisis and have been angered by Maduro&#39;s efforts to block a referendum vote against him.

Torrealba reiterated the MUD&#39;s demands at the meeting that the government respect the constitutional right to a referendum, and that it free imprisoned MUD activists.&nbsp;

The Maduro government said the talks were aimed at &quot;containing unconstitutional and undemocratic actions to overthrow the Venezuelan government.&quot;

Maduro&#39;s lead delegate to the talks, Jorge Rodriguez, denounced the opposition&#39;s plan to hold a demonstration at the presidential palace on Thursday as &quot;craziness.&quot; He accused the opposition of plotting violence.

The palace was the scene of a short-lived coup attempt in 2002 against Maduro&#39;s late predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez.

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

The first dialogue in nearly a year has been fraught with 'skepticism and distrust' as opposition blamed Maduro for the economic crisis

In the first open dialogue between the rival political parties in Venezuela in nearly a year, representatives from the socialist Maduro government and the opposition leaders met for crisis talks late on Sunday. The landmark talks being held in the presence of the Vatican envoys is aimed at defusing an increasingly tense political crisis in the country. Among those on hand for the talks held on the outskirts of Caracas were President Nicolas Maduro and members of the opposition, including Jesus Torrealba, the leader of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) umbrella group. Reaching out to the the MUD, Maduro assured "total commitment to the dialogue process" and said that all parties should do their "utmost to move forward in a progressive, sustained way". But the talks have been fraught with disagreement among the opposition coalition, with some senior MUD leaders expressing feelings of "skepticism and distrust" and warning that the "conditions are not in place for dialogue". The opposition parties blame Maduro for the country's economic crisis and have been angered by Maduro's efforts to block a referendum vote against him. Torrealba reiterated the MUD's demands at the meeting that the government respect the constitutional right to a referendum, and that it free imprisoned MUD activists. The Maduro government said the talks were aimed at "containing unconstitutional and undemocratic actions to overthrow the Venezuelan government." Maduro's lead delegate to the talks, Jorge Rodriguez, denounced the opposition's plan to hold a demonstration at the presidential palace on Thursday as "craziness." He accused the opposition of plotting violence. The palace was the scene of a short-lived coup attempt in 2002 against Maduro's late predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Venezuela's Maduro meets opposition at Vatican-led talks to defuse political crisis

Hours after the Vatican announced that the Maduro government and the Venezuelan opposition had agreed on Monday to launch talks this month, a top opposition leader dismissed the claim.&nbsp;

The opposition leader said they did not agree to hold talks with the government&nbsp;after Pope Francis weighed in on the dispute. Henrique Capriles, a top figure in the opposition MUD coalition, said the announcement of talks was a ploy by President Nicolas Maduro to keep resisting the opposition&#39;s efforts to remove him from power.

&quot;What dialogue? No dialogue has been started in Venezuela,&quot; said Henrique Capriles, a senior MUD figure, in an address broadcast online.&nbsp;

The Vatican had intervened to calm tensions in the country after the opposition accused the President of trampling on democracy by blocking a referendum to vote him out of power.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, the opposition said that President Maduro had jumped the gun&nbsp;by announcing the talks before terms had been agreed, with one leader accusing him of &nbsp;taking advantage of the Pope&#39;s &quot;good faith&quot;.&nbsp;

Earlier, the Vatican envoy to Argentina, Emil Paul Tscherring said that both sides had met and agreed to initiate a national dialogue with the purpose of establishing conditions for holding a plenary meeting later this month.&nbsp;

Capriles, however, added that he welcomed the Vatican&#39;s offer to help.

His announcement came after President Maduro received a private audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis. &quot;I thanked him in the name of Venezuela for all the support, so that at last, definitively, a formal dialogue could be started in Venezuela between the opposition and the legitimate Bolivarian government that I lead,&quot; Maduro said in televised comments afterward.

The pope urged both parties &quot;to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion,&quot; a Vatican statement said.&nbsp;

The opposition had vowed mass protests to fight what it called Maduro&#39;s &quot;dictatorship&quot; as it embarked on a new strategy to oust him.&nbsp;

The brewing political tensions in the country have increased the risk of violent unrest in the South American nation that is already dealing with an economic crisis.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Senior opposition leader denied agreeing to hold talks with government, saying it was a ploy to resist efforts to remove Maduro from power

Hours after the Vatican announced that the Maduro government and the Venezuelan opposition had agreed on Monday to launch talks this month, a top opposition leader dismissed the claim. The opposition leader said they did not agree to hold talks with the government after Pope Francis weighed in on the dispute. Henrique Capriles, a top figure in the opposition MUD coalition, said the announcement of talks was a ploy by President Nicolas Maduro to keep resisting the opposition's efforts to remove him from power. "What dialogue? No dialogue has been started in Venezuela," said Henrique Capriles, a senior MUD figure, in an address broadcast online. The Vatican had intervened to calm tensions in the country after the opposition accused the President of trampling on democracy by blocking a referendum to vote him out of power. However, the opposition said that President Maduro had jumped the gun by announcing the talks before terms had been agreed, with one leader accusing him of taking advantage of the Pope's "good faith". Earlier, the Vatican envoy to Argentina, Emil Paul Tscherring said that both sides had met and agreed to initiate a national dialogue with the purpose of establishing conditions for holding a plenary meeting later this month. Capriles, however, added that he welcomed the Vatican's offer to help. His announcement came after President Maduro received a private audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis. "I thanked him in the name of Venezuela for all the support, so that at last, definitively, a formal dialogue could be started in Venezuela between the opposition and the legitimate Bolivarian government that I lead," Maduro said in televised comments afterward. The pope urged both parties "to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion," a Vatican statement said. The opposition had vowed mass protests to fight what it called Maduro's "dictatorship" as it embarked on a new strategy to oust him. The brewing political tensions in the country have increased the risk of violent unrest in the South American nation that is already dealing with an economic crisis. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Venezuela opposition: No talks with Maduro government

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Maduro pledges 'good faith' ahead of talks with opposition in Norway

Venezuela's Maduro meets opposition at Vatican-led talks to defuse political crisis

Venezuela opposition: No talks with Maduro government