Venezuelan Government and Opposition Hold First Talks in Paris on Dialogue

Jorge Rodríguez, who leads Venezuela's National Assembly, arrived in Paris on a Friday in November 2022 to sit across from Gerardo Blyde, the head of the opposition delegation, in what amounted to the first direct conversation between the two sides in over a year. The meeting took place at the Fifth Paris Peace Forum, held at the Palais Brongniart in the heart of the city, with the forum's focus that year trained on Latin America and its political futures.

The talks had frozen in October 2021, when the United States extradited Venezuelan businessman and diplomat Alex Saab from Cape Verde—a move that poisoned the negotiating atmosphere and sent both sides into their corners. But something had shifted. In May of that year, the government and a moderate faction of the opposition had quietly resumed formal conversations, sensing an opening. The Americans had begun to ease some of their economic pressure on the country, and with that small crack in the wall came the possibility of movement.

Rodríguez posted images from the forum to Twitter, framing the encounter as a vindication of his government's position. "We are convinced that Venezuela's path is dialogue, the suspension of all illegal sanctions, and respect for the Constitution," he wrote. The opposition's Blyde was there too, visible in the photographs, suggesting at least a willingness to be in the same room. French deputy Eleonore Caroit, present at the forum, tweeted that she had met with representatives from both the government and opposition, and that France could play a crucial role in the negotiation process.

The international stage was crowded with interested parties. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, had already signaled his intentions. In a separate meeting with Argentina's Alberto Fernández, Macron said the negotiations "must resume as soon as possible in Mexico." He emphasized that any process would need to begin with "a humanitarian agreement and political guarantees." Colombia's Gustavo Petro was there. Norway's foreign minister, Anniken Huitfeldt, attended. Brazil's newly elected president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, participated by video.

Maduro himself had confirmed Rodríguez's participation the day before, speaking at the opening of Venezuela's International Book Fair. He told the crowd that Rodríguez was heading to Paris to meet with Macron and discuss peace. A few days earlier, a video had circulated showing Macron and Maduro in a brief hallway conversation at the UN climate conference in Egypt. Macron had expressed his desire to talk "a bit more" and to begin "bilateral work that is useful for the country and the region." Maduro responded that Rodríguez, a man he could speak with "in absolute confidence," would be at the Paris forum to carry that conversation forward.

What remained unclear was whether this Paris meeting would actually break the logjam or simply create the appearance of movement. The opposition delegation was described as the "more moderate" wing—a careful phrase that suggested the broader opposition remained fractured. The government's conditions were plain: lift the sanctions, respect the constitution, and talk. The opposition's conditions were less publicly articulated, but they centered on political guarantees and humanitarian relief. Mexico City was being positioned as the next venue, the place where formal negotiations would supposedly resume. Whether either side would actually show up with the flexibility to move remained an open question as the Paris forum concluded.