Maduro halts talks with opposition to protest US sanctions

Venezuela’s government says it will not attend a planned round of talks with the opposition this week to protest the Trump administration’s freezing of its assets in the U.S.

In a statement Wednesday night, President Nicolas Maduro’s government said it was also reviewing the mechanics of the Norway-sponsored talks to guarantee their future effectiveness.

The decision comes just hours before the next round of talks was set to begin Thursday on the Caribbean island of Barbados.

Little information has been disclosed about the talks that started in May. Opposition leader Juan Guaido has demanded Maduro step down and pave the way for a presidential election under foreign observation and with a revamped electoral council.