Venezuela, opposition announce dialogue as protests brew

The two sides will meet on the Caribbean island of Margarita on Sunday, mediated by the Vatican, regional bloc Unasur, and three former heads of state. "At last we are installing a dialogue between the opposition and the legitimate government," Maduro said from Rome, after a meeting with Pope Francis who urged him to alleviate Venezuelans' suffering during a brutal economic crisis. Past conversations between the bitterly polarized sides have led to little progress. The opposition says Maduro is an inept autocrat who must leave office before the crisis worsens while the former bus driver and union leader vows not to be pushed out by what he calls a power-hungry elite seeking a coup. More…