Maduro says he’s open to negotiations, Guaido says no, seems to hold out for the throne

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sees an agreement with the US-backed opposition in his country’s future, but Juan Guaido has turned his nose up at negotiations, and appears to be holding out for regime change or bust.

Guaido, the US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader, has rejected negotiations with President Nicolas Maduro, declaring that there’s “never” a good time to mediate with a “dictatorship” – even after Maduro hinted at a possible “agreement.”

“It is never going to be a good moment to mediate… with kidnappers, human rights violators, and a dictatorship,” Guaido told reporters on Tuesday at a meeting of the National Assembly, the opposition legislature which was stripped of its authority in 2017. He said that there had been “no official statement that we would attend a new round” of talks in Oslo, appearing to contradict Reuters sources that confirmed new talks would start this week – as well as the man he insists on calling an “illegitimate usurper.”

“I would like to reaffirm the government’s readiness for the dialogue in Norway, aimed at creating a permanent mechanism for talks and search for solutions,” Maduro said on state television on Tuesday. “This is the goal and I can say that the process is developing in a good manner.” The embattled president even went one step further, predicting a conclusion to the US-backed regime-change drama that has been propping Guaido up since January.

I am sure that in 2019 we will reach a great agreement on mutual understanding and peace, dialogue and democracy for Venezuela.

When Guaido’s much-trumpeted May 1 coup failed to produce the expected mass military defection, he blamed “people who failed to follow through,” but held out hope that they would come around “soon.” That was two months ago. Trump has echoed this rhetoric, pointing out that proper regime change “takes time.” And if a leaked recording of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is anything to go by, the opposition can’t even decide who to unite behind.

Representatives from Maduro’s government and Guaido’s camp have met at least twice since May in Oslo, though the content of their discussions has remained largely under wraps.

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