By Anabella González, Germán Padinger, Michael Rios, CNN

(CNN) — The Venezuelan government met with opposition figures in Caracas on Thursday after days of delay, marking the start of US-backed talks aimed at steering the country toward a democratic transition.

The United States looms large in the conversation, having brokered negotiations months after toppling Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The government delegation is being led by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the current National Assembly and brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez.

Former congresswoman Dinorah Figuera is leading the opposition bloc, which is composed of former members of the 2015 National Assembly – the last legislative body considered legitimate by the US.

Notably absent from the US-backed talks are opposition leaders María Corina Machado and former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who remain in exile. Both have stated that they will monitor the talks and hope they will lead to elections.

Since 2013, the government and various opposition figures have held more than a dozen meetings and attempts to negotiate, but none have yielded concrete results. This one could be different, according to experts, as it’s the first one promoted and partly led by the US.

What are the aims of the talks?

The dialogue is part of the United States’ three-phase plan to bring about stabilization, economic recovery and political reconciliation, and democratic transition to Venezuela, with the aim of eventually holding new elections.

Both sides say the talks will cover three main points: responding to the deadly earthquakes in June, strengthening democracy and guaranteeing political rights.

After arriving in Venezuela Wednesday night, Figuera detailed that they would also discuss the potential restructuring of the body that oversees the country’s elections to make it “credible and reliable” as well as reforms to the Supreme Court of Justice.

She told Venezuelan network Televen that the process would take time and that the “full product” of their work could be formally presented in December.

The US Embassy in Caracas said it welcomes the talks and “remains committed to supporting Venezuelan-led efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, expand political freedoms, and promote a more stable and prosperous future for the people of Venezuela.”

How critical is the US role?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear in mid-July that the talks are not only about reconciliation, but also about starting what he called a transition process, which he said Washington would be involved in.

US involvement appears to be the main difference in the current process, according to Venezuelan analyst Carmen Beatriz Fernández, director of the consulting firm DataStrategia.

“The strings of this negotiation are not being pulled by the government, but by the State Department. And that is becoming increasingly clear, no matter how much they try to disguise it and make it less obvious,” Fernández told CNN.

Rodríguez insists that Venezuela’s new relationship with the US is based on diplomatic and commercial cooperation and isn’t a matter of subordination or foreign interference.

But the US government has “real influence over both parties this time,” says Christopher Sabatini, director of the Latin America program at the Chatham House think tank.

He says this is evidenced by the “economic, political and even legal influence” the US exerts over government officials through sanctions and other restrictions, and by Figuera’s selection as the opposition’s main delegate.

Who is Dinorah Figuera?

The former lawmaker has had a long political career with key roles in the opposition.

A cancer survivor, her first elected position was as a councilor of the Libertador Municipality of Caracas between 1995 and 2000. In 2010 she was elected deputy for Caracas in the National Assembly of Venezuela, and in 2015 elected deputy for Aragua state in the same chamber.

In 2018, Figuera went into exile in Spain due to alleged threats and harassment by the Venezuelan government.

She was a key figure in the opposition movement led by Juan Guaidó between 2019 and 2023, which had an unsuccessful uprising attempt against Maduro but enjoyed the support of US President Donald Trump during his first term.

In January 2023, former opposition deputies of the 2015 National Assembly elected her as president of the legislative body.

Days later, the Venezuelan government issued arrest warrants and a red alert for five former opposition deputies, including Figuera, whom it accused of “usurpation of functions, treason, money laundering and criminal association.”

In June, months after the US toppled Maduro, Figuera briefly returned to Venezuela for a meeting with Rodríguez, in what the US called a first step in the transition process.

She returned to the country again on Wednesday night along with her delegation ahead of Thursday’s larger forum.

Machado not involved

Though Machado and González are not taking part in the discussions, both have said they would not get in the way.

“We will not be an obstacle to any initiative that produces real progress. We will evaluate it based on concrete and variable achievements,” the opposition figures said in a joint statement.

Machado left Venezuela in December to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway after more than a year in hiding. She has long vowed to return home and has hinted that she would run for president if an election were held.

Over the past eight months, she has been rallying support from allies around the world, including Trump, to whom she gifted her Nobel Prize.

Earlier this year, she told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that she wanted to help facilitate Venezuela’s democratic transition.

In an interview with journalist Luis Olavarrieta this month, she denied feeling left out by Washington.

“This is not about me as a person, this is about Venezuelans,” she said, insisting she maintains a direct relationship with high-ranking US officials. “The president of the United States has my phone number and has called me whenever he has wanted to speak with me,” she said.

CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

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