The Government of Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan opposition, led by Juan Guaidó, signed in Mexico this Saturday the Second Partial Agreement for the Protection of the Venezuelan People whose main objective is the recovery of State resources from the Caribbean country blocked in the international financial system . The pact comes on the same day that the Biden administration eased some oil sanctions on the country in an effort to boost newly restarted talks between the parties.
The agreement signed after resuming the bilateral dialogue, which had been formally suspended in October 2021 by decision of the Executive, establishes that the opposition and the Government will have to cooperate in terms of humanitarian expenses, such as the payment of medical care projects or the repair of electrical networks. Currently, $2.7 billion of funds are frozen in international accounts due to US sanctions. The fund will be administered by the United Nations.
"In accordance with UN rules and procedures, the objective (of the fund) would be to support the implementation of social protection measures for the Venezuelan people," reported Norway's mediator representative, Dag Nylander. The US government, in response, agreed to allow the oil giant Chevron to pump Venezuelan oil.
Likewise, Nylander warned the parties against the possibility of not respecting the agreement, although they may make annexed agreements as long as they have been previously discussed. At the same time, the mediator recalled that, although the international community supports the process, progress "will depend on the Venezuelans."
The Secretary of Foreign Relations of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard -host of the event-, shared that the signing of this second agreement is "a hope" for Latin America and insisted that they receive the resumption of the dialogue with "open arms".
The objective is to be able to access money, the amount of which was not specified, to "invest it in Venezuela in the electrical service, in water, in health, in education" and in areas affected by the rains of recent months that have left thousands of homes affected and almost a hundred dead. A UN report released earlier this year estimated humanitarian needs at $795 million to help some 5.2 million people in Venezuela through health, education, water and sanitation, food and other projects.
