French President Emmanuel Macron and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro greeted each other for a minute and a half during COP27 in Sharm el-SheiK, Egypt.

“The continent is getting back together, there is a path that we need to rebuild … I wish we could talk a little moreMacron told Maduro.

France is among the more than 50 countries that They ignored Maduro’s re-election in 2018, branded by the opposition as “fraudulent”.

The whole thing lasted a minute and a half, between a conversation and a handshake, without letting go, in the corridors of the Congress Center.

A minute and a half that can change the course of relations between the two countries, very affected since France ignored Maduro’s re-election in 2018 and support the opposition Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela.

Tour

But for some time now the cards on the table have been reversed and support for the Venezuelan opponent internationally it’s decreasing. The Maduro government has also initiated direct talks with the United States.

In 2019, France, like some 50 countries, including the United States, recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president, arguing that the 2018 election process in which Maduro was re-elected it was “fraudulent”.

The leadership of Guaidó, who retains control of some assets outside the countrybut failed to wield power in Venezuela, it has declined since 2019.

The role of the energy crisis

The global energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine caused many countries try to diversify the oil supply and gas in order not to depend on Russia. And eyes are on two countries, Iran and Venezuela. “Venezuelan oil must also be able to return to the market,” the Elysée said at the time.

This was mentioned by the French presidency during the G7 summit in Germany last June. Even then, Nicolás Maduro said Venezuela was “Ready to welcome all French companies who want to come and produce oil and gas for the European market ”.

“President, I call you”

“President, I will call you,” Macron told Maduro in Egypt on Monday. Perhaps a first contact can take place this week in Paris, not directly with the Venezuelan president, but with the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly who will participate in the Paris Peace Forum this Friday.

Jorge Rodriguez He is the head of the official delegation in talks with the opposition in Mexico and is expected to meet Juan Guaidó’s negotiator, Gerardo Blyde, head of the Unitary Platform delegation in Paris.

“To order. An envoy goes there for the conferenceJorge Rodriguez. With him you can talk in confidence, with him you can talk in absolute confidence. He is the president of the National Assembly, “Maduro replied to Macron.

RFI with AFP information