(Reuters) Veteran U.S. diplomat Tom Shannon met with Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday to re-start talks between the ideologically opposed governments amid a punishing economic crisis in the South American OPEC nation.Shannon, 57, who led a similar rapprochement last year that stalled over the jailing of protest leader Leopoldo Lopez, also met with opposition figures and civil society activists on his visit to Caracas.
During 17 years of socialist rule under Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has replaced Cuba as Washington’s principle irritant in the Americas.
The United States is backing an opposition push to hold a “fair and timely” referendum this year that could see Maduro ousted. However, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry agreed in talks with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez last week to re-start dialogue.
Shannon and Maduro, 53, met after lunch in the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, but there was no immediate word on the content of their talks.
Their meeting came the day before the Organization of American States was to discuss a proposal by its head, Luis Almagro, to invoke the regional body’s Democratic Charter, which could eventually lead to a vote on suspending Venezuela.
Shannon also met in Caracas with opposition leaders including Henrique Capriles, the two-time presidential candidate who lost to both Chavez and Maduro and is now spearheading the push for a referendum.
Maduro may be hoping the meeting eases international pressure on him, analysts and diplomats said, while Washington likely calculates a rapprochement undermines Venezuela’s constant blame on “imperialist” foes for the nation’s problems.
“Kerry indicated last week that the U.S. wants to see a recall referendum this year, and bilateral talks will help to offset what would otherwise be fodder for Maduro to declare that the U.S. is trying to overthrow his regime,” the Eurasia consultancy group said.
Shannon, a former U.S. ambassador to Brazil and current Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs who speaks Spanish and Portuguese, was likely to press for the release of jailed opponents including Lopez.
He is also expected to push for internationally mediated talks between Maduro’s government and the opposition to try and ease political strains behind the crisis.
The Venezuelan opposition leader was sentenced to nearly 14 years for instigating 2014 anti-Maduro protests that led to violence killing 43 people across both sides.