Venezuela Government and Opposition Resume US-Backed Dialogue

The Venezuelan government and opposition continued their second round of US-backed dialogue on Friday, focusing on key issues such as political guarantees, freedom of expression, and judicial reform.

According to opposition negotiator Dinorah Figuera, the talks aim to provide a 'consolidation of a path toward democracy' for the Venezuelan people.

The first round of negotiations ended with two agreements, including one on the renewal of Venezuela's Supreme Court and another on seeking the recovery of Venezuelan assets held at the Bank of England to assist victims of earthquakes that struck the country in June.

The opposition delegation is now close to an agreement on transferring about $4 billion in gold reserves held at the Bank of England to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, according to reports.