The friend forgotten in the Brooklyn detention cell: Venezuela erases Nicolás Maduro from history

Venezuela's government, led by Delcy Rodríguez, has not raised the demand for the release of former President Nicolás Maduro in five rounds of talks with the opposition. Maduro is imprisoned in the U.S., accused of drug trafficking. The opposition says Maduro is "simply not on the negotiating table." The talks focus on funding reconstruction after the June earthquakes and demanding the return of gold bars worth about four billion dollars. 131 political prisoners were released, but Foro Penal confirmed only 78 releases.

The government of Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela has not raised the demand for the release of former President Nicolás Maduro during five rounds of talks with the opposition. Maduro is imprisoned in the U.S. and faces charges of drug trafficking. The opposition claims that Maduro is "simply not on the negotiating table." The U.S. administration has backed Rodríguez since commandos kidnapped the leader in a nighttime raid on January 3. In return, Rodríguez opened the country's natural resources to foreign investors and granted American companies access to oil reserves. The talks with the opposition focused mainly on funding reconstruction after the devastating June earthquakes, while demanding the return of gold bars worth about four billion dollars stored at the Bank of England. Additionally, 131 political prisoners were released, although the human rights organization Foro Penal confirmed only 78 releases.