Venezuelan opposition challenges government dialogue plan

Venezuela's government proposed talks to ease the country's political crisis after Pope Francis intervened, but an opposition leader branded it a ploy by President Nicolas Maduro to cling to power.

The move had aimed to calm tensions after the opposition accused the socialist president of staging a "coup d'etat" by blocking its bid for a vote on removing him.

But the opposition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), said Maduro had jumped the gun by announcing the talks before terms had been agreed.

Maduro had a private audience with the pope at the Vatican on Monday, saying afterwards that pope Francis had supported the opening of a "formal dialogue" between government and opposition.

Papal envoy Emil Paul Tscherrig said separately that both sides had launched a "national dialogue," and that they aimed to formally open talks on October 30 on the Venezuelan island of Margarita.

According to AFP, the opposition MUD coalition later insisted it had not agreed to those terms, though it welcomed the Vatican's efforts to help.

Months of tension that have included riots and looting threatened to boil over after authorities enraged the opposition last week by annulling its drive for a recall referendum.

The opposition members, who hold a majority in the legislature, had vowed to debate on Tuesday whether to mount a "political trial" against the president.