Barred Venezuela candidates can take cases to tribunal, partially meeting US demands

FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Colombia's President Gustavo Petro at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, November 18, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Reuters) -Opposition candidates barred from public office in Venezuela will be able to appear before the country's top tribunal, which will rule on their bans, the country's government and opposition said in a joint statement late on Thursday.

The announcement comes on the day of a United States deadline for the government of President Nicolas Maduro to take steps to remove the bans or risk the renewal of recently relaxed sanctions.