Maduro endorses US-backed Venezuela talks from Brooklyn prison as Machado stays out

Maduro speaks from Brooklyn

Seven months after US forces captured him and flew him to New York, former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has endorsed the political dialogue set to begin next week. In a message posted on his official Telegram account on Sunday 2 August, the 63-year-old wrote that he welcomes any path that strengthens peace and coexistence among Venezuelans.

Parler d'une RENAISSANCE NATIONALE comme objectif commun, c'est parler de respect mutuel. (....) Nous saluons tout chemin de dialogue qui contribue à consolider la paix, la coexistence et la rencontre entre les Vénézuéliens

Maduro is detained in a Brooklyn prison facing four charges, including narco-terrorism. His wife Cilia Flores, 69, faces three charges. Both deny the allegations. The US government has authorised Venezuela to pay their legal fees. The trial is scheduled to open on 1 June 2027.

The talks begin next week

The government and a section of the opposition announced on Saturday that in-person political dialogue will start "next week" under US supervision. Many observers hope the process will lead to a political transition and elections. The talks are expected to address reforms to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, the electoral system and legislation governing political participation.

Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's former vice president, has run the country since January under what multiple sources describe as strict control by President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed satisfaction with her work and encouraged the dialogue. Washington also determines how Venezuela accesses its oil revenues, the mainstay of the economy.

Machado sidelined

High-profile opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, exiled in Panama, is not on the list of participants. She was not invited despite calls from several figures, including former government members. Last weekend Machado distanced herself from the process, confirming she would not take part while assuring she would not oppose it.

She confirmed she would not participate, while assuring she would not oppose the process.

US role under scrutiny

The talks mark the latest phase of Washington's deep insertion into Venezuelan politics since Maduro's capture. The US now backs the interim administration, brokers the dialogue, and controls the oil revenue stream. Al Jazeera's panel of analysts questioned whether Washington is dictating the agenda, noting that the opposition figure once recognised by the US as interim president, Juan Guaido, is no longer central to the process.

The last seven months have seen Washington insert itself into Venezuela's politics and economy.

Former US ambassador to Venezuela Charles Shapiro and other analysts joined the discussion, examining what Washington seeks to obtain from a dialogue that excludes the country's most internationally recognised opposition leader.