The United States ‌said on Thursday it welcomed a meeting between Jorge Rodriguez, ‌the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly legislature, and Dinorah Figuera, a former ​opposition lawmaker, for discussions on a democratic transition in the South American country, including strengthening the National Electoral Council (CNE).

The ​meeting in Caracas was the first public rapprochement between the ⁠ruling party and opposition members in nearly ‌three years, ‌since ​the two sides signed a deal to hold 2024 presidential elections.

Neither Figuera, ⁠who served ​in an opposition-led legislature until ​2020 and returned to Venezuela on Thursday ‌after living in Spain for some ​seven years, nor Rodriguez, the brother of ⁠acting president Delcy Rodríguez, ⁠provided ​much detail on the meeting, with the national assembly saying in a short statement it was focused on establishing a platform to strengthen “democracy and the consolidation of peace,” without providing further details.

“The US understands that ‌this agenda ⁠includes key priorities such as rebuilding Venezuela’s democratic institutions, strengthening the CNE, re-establishing durable guarantees for ‌political participation, and securing essential civic freedoms for open political ​discourse,” US state fepartment spokesperson Tommy ​Pigott said in statement. – Reuters