Venezuela politics : Government, opposition talks end in deadlock

Members of Venezuela’s government and opposition coalition failed to reach a deal in a new round of talks in the Dominican Republic aimed at resolving the OPEC nation’s protracted political crisis.

Foreign ministers from Chile, Mexico, Bolivia, Nicaragua and host Dominican Republic acted as guarantors at the talks held at the Foreign Ministry building in Santo Domingo amidst mistrust on both sides.
Few Venezuelans expect further talks to yield a breakthrough, with Maduro’s foes demoralised at seeing him consolidate power ahead of a likely re-election campaign in 2018.

The disparate Democratic Unity coalition, which failed to dislodge Maduro in months of street protests earlier this year and then succumbed to infighting, is pressing primarily for a guarantee of free and fair voting next year.