CARACAS, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelans are hopeful that the dialogue between the government and the opposition, which resumed in Mexico on Friday, will be successful and contribute to the stabilization of the country.
Daniel Gomez, a resident of Caracas, told Xinhua that "the dialogues are going to be very useful for the peace and economic stability of the country."
He said the presence of "good mediators," such as Norway and Mexico, would help the dialogue progress.
Another Caracas resident, Franklin Castillo, told Xinhua that "reconciliation between the two sides is necessary ... because we are all Venezuelans."
According to Castillo, unlike past negotiation attempts, the agreements could now bear fruit because "this time, there is healthy mediation" and even the most radical sectors of the opposition are determined to participate in the coming elections.
Auto mechanic Pedro Lara said that "this dialogue is necessary for the economy to recover, so that people want to come and invest."
Book editor Juan Gomez was skeptical, however, due to the "failures" of previous negotiations.
"I would hope that it will help the political stability of the country, but I remain skeptical because of the previous times. Those talks between the government and the opposition did not improve anything," he said, adding that the country "continues to be very polarized."
Dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition resumed in Mexico on Friday, after a first round of negotiations held in August concluded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the parties.
The already difficult political and social situation in Venezuela deteriorated in January 2019, as the United States has been pursuing a policy of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation against the Nicolas Maduro government to support opposition leader Juan Guaido.
