Venezuela Government, Opposition Agree to Replace Top Judges and Unlock $4 Billion in Gold
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 13
Venezuela Government, Opposition Agree to Replace Top Judges and Unlock $4 Billion in Gold
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 13
Summary
Six days of Caracas talks ended with Venezuela’s government and opposition agreeing to overhaul the judiciary, including replacing all Supreme Tribunal magistrates, and to pursue frozen overseas assets for recovery funding.
The asset push centers on 31 tonnes of gold worth about $4 billion held at the Bank of England, which both sides want released to help rebuild after the June 24 earthquakes.
Analysts called the court deal the bigger breakthrough because the tribunal backed Nicolas Maduro’s disputed 2024 reelection claim, and a more independent bench could make later electoral reforms stick.
US involvement set this round apart from at least 17 earlier dialogue attempts, giving the process more leverage but also fueling suspicion among chavistas, opposition hardliners and former political prisoners.
Protesters in Caracas pressed negotiators to turn the opening deal into verifiable results, especially on new elections and the release of at least 391 political prisoners.