“Venezuelan government officials and representatives of the opposition have signed an agreement which lays some of the groundwork for presidential elections that will be recognized by both sides to be held,” according to BBC, Oct. 18, 2023. The Venezuelan government has agreed to invite international observers to monitor the 2024 election, a rare breakthrough after an 11-month hiatus. The agreement, signed in Barbados, includes 12 points, including providing all candidates with access to public and private media, ensuring their free movement, and updating voter registries. However, the eligibility of candidates for the presidency has caused disagreement. The document states that registration for the presidential election will be open to all candidates who meet constitutional requirements, but the opposition’s head, Gerardo Blyde, suggested that it could allow opposition candidates to “recover their rights.” The government’s delegation, Jorge Rodríguez, contradicted this, stating that candidates barred from running by the comptroller-general would not be allowed to stand in the 2024 election. The Maduro government hopes the deal will lead to an easing of US sanctions, which were ramped up following Maduro’s 2018 election win. The US has a vested interest in the crisis in Venezuela, as the dire state of the Andean country has driven over seven million Venezuelans to emigrate, with many heading to the US.