The president of the Venezuelan Federation of Trade and Industry Chambers Fedecámaras Jorge Roig stated that the meetings the Venezuelan president referred to on Monday have not been held.

"The president is not duly informed, since the supposed ‘meetings' he referred to do not exist. There are very few talks, very little capacity to debate. Some specific sectors have met with (government) officials," Roig stressed during an interview with reporter César Miguel Rondón on his radio show.

Roig said that despite Maduro's rhetoric, the Venezuelan president will be forced to hold talks with local entrepreneurs, for "this is an electoral year and he needs to take staples to store shelves in order prevent his popularity from falling."

"We hope that talks are held, as if there are not any staples, the government popularity will continue to shrink," the Fedecámaras head added.

El Universal