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US-backed Venezuela talks to begin without opposition leader Machado
Talks without Machado
The immediate development is a new round of talks involving Venezuela’s interim authorities and selected opposition figures. Reuters said the meeting will begin on Saturday and that the delegation will be led by Dinorah Figuera, while Maria Corina Machado will stay out of the process.
That absence matters because Machado remains the opposition’s most recognizable national figure. A negotiation without her suggests the opposition is still fragmented, even as outside actors try to shape a path toward elections and institutional reform.
Leadership uncertainty
The story is not just about one meeting; it is about who can claim political authority in Venezuela. The interim government is trying to maintain control while also engaging with the United States and parts of the opposition, which implies a balance between internal legitimacy and external backing.
This makes the leadership question likely to remain open through the rest of 2026. Any durable settlement will probably depend on whether the opposition can unify around a common strategy and whether the interim authorities can convert negotiations into an agreed transition.
What happens next
For readers tracking the end-of-2026 outlook, the key point is that no side appears to have resolved Venezuela’s power struggle yet. The talks may be a step toward an eventual political roadmap, but the absence of the opposition’s strongest voice weakens the prospect of a quick breakthrough.
If the negotiations fail or stall, the country could enter the final months of 2026 still split between competing centers of authority. If they advance, they may become the basis for a new electoral or constitutional arrangement.