Venezuelan officials and opposition representatives have met with a group of mediators in the Dominican Republic separately. The talks are intended to lay the groundwork for dialogue amid a political standoff and a deepening economic crisis. 

Representatives from both sides separately met former Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, former Dominican president Leonel Fernandez and Panama's ex-president Martin Torrijos. The opposition's demands include a recall referendum over the presidency of Nicolas Maduro, freeing what it calls "political prisoners" and allowing foreign humanitarian assistance.

Venezuela is suffering a severe recession, partly caused by low oil prices. Currency controls in Venezuela make it impossible for airlines to send money abroad, prompting the German airline Lufthansa to suspend flights to Venezuela from June.