Kerry welcomes bid to spur talks between Venezuela, opposition

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero on Thursday to welcome efforts he is leading to facilitate dialogue between the government of Venezuela and members of the Venezuelan opposition, the State Department said.

Kerry said the United States stands ready to help Zapatero, alongside former Dominican President Leonel Fernandez and former Panamanian President Martín Torrijos, in their efforts, the department said in a statement.