(Bloomberg) -- Venezuela’s Justice First party said the opposition-led National Assembly should have more limited access to the nation’s frozen funds abroad and called to restart political negotiations. 

The opposition should only rely on Venezuelan government accounts frozen by sanctions in the US to finance the legal defense of assets, Justice First’s President, María Beatriz Martínez, said from a press conference in Caracas on Tuesday. The party, known as PJ, currently controls the opposition Assembly’s presidency.

So far, the opposition has also used those funds to pay to for its lawmakers’ salaries and programs, including those to support activists and health personnel. President Nicolás Maduro’s government has accused the opposition of stealing the funds in violation of the constitution.

  • “What we want is to put things in order and do things right,” she said
  • Martínez: “We call on the Nicolás Maduro regime to immediately resume negotiations in Mexico”
  • Rest of the opposition parties are “aware” of the proposal, which PJ aspires to become a joint proposal, Martínez said
  • US should keep its protection over Citgo Petroleum, Venezuela’s main offshore asset, until a new government is elected in 2024, she said
    • “We need to save Citgo from creditors and Maduro”

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