MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – The head of the Venezuelan opposition negotiating group on Sunday urged President Nicolas Maduro to restart talks with the government as soon as possible after he suspended them this weekend.

Maduro’s government suspended conversations with Maduro after Alex Saab (the United States’ envoy for the country) was extradited from Cape Verde to face money laundering allegations.

Gerardo, speaking in Mexico City, said that “We encourage our counterparts to restart the session Mexico so as to produce the required agreements.”

Both sides seek a solution for Venezuela’s prolonged social and economic crisis. This has pushed a large portion of Venezuelans into poverty, and many others have fled to look for better opportunities.

Socialist party legislator Jorge Rodriguez, who heads the government’s negotiating team, said late on Saturday the Venezuelan government would not attend the talks https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/maduro-envoy-alex-saab-extradited-us-cape-verde-radio-2021-10-16, which were set to resume on Sunday.

Saab was named by the Venezuelan government as part of its negotiation team in September.

Saab was indicted by the U.S. Justice Department for conspiring to abuse Venezuela’s government-controlled exchange rate. Saab was also charged by the United States for orchestrating a corruption scheme that permitted Saab, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, to gain from a government-run food subvention program.

Saab is scheduled to appear in court on Monday before the U.S. District Court of Southern District of Florida.

Venezuela’s government claimed that the suspension was in protest at what it calls “brutal aggression” towards Saab.

Within hours of Saab’s extradition Venezuela released six ex-executives of Citgo refiner, an American subsidiary of PDVSA.

After being summoned at PDVSA Headquarters in Caracas in November 2017, Citgo executive were taken to their residences and placed under arrest.