Venezuela opposition leader wary of Maduro's rapprochement

By Andrew Cawthorne and Diego Ore HIGUEROTE, Venezuela (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition leader has welcomed President Nicolas Maduro’s dialogue with once-vilified political foes but also suspects it may be a ploy to defuse anger over his failure to control crime and end economic scarcities. After years of polarized politics dating from predecessor Hugo Chavez’s 14-year rule, Maduro’s socialist government has held a string of meetings with opposition governors and mayors since December to strategize over violent crime and other national problems. A curt handshake between opposition leader Henrique Capriles and Maduro at one meeting was the most visible sign of the rapprochement.