Venezuela Government, Opponents Resume Talks Amid Stalemate

Venezuela's opposition and the government have held backdoor negotiations as the two sides retrench in their positions for and against a referendum on cutting short President Nicolas Maduro's term. Opposition leaders said Tuesday that the two private meetings with government officials took place in recent days. The Democratic Unity alliance issued a statement accusing Maduro of trying to "dynamite" the mediation effort after government representatives failed to show up for a third meeting without explanation. It's unclear what was discussed, but the opposition said it's not yielding on its demand that a recall referendum be held this year and called for a march Friday. More…