Conciliation talks between Venezuela's socialist government and the country's hardline conservative opposition will be held on Thursday, aimed at ending two months of anti-government protests, a cabinet official said Wednesday.

Ernesto Villegas, minister of Urban Transformation of Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, told state-run VTV that the talks due to begin Thursday with representatives of President Nicolas Maduro's administration and of a coalition of conservative political parties will lead to "closing the disastrous chapter of violence and isolating the extremists."

"I am convinced that this dialogue will give rise to concrete opportunities for overcoming the violence and other problems our society has" and "will point out the way toward the stabilization of Venezuela's entire democratic system," added Villegas.

For the talks to succeed, said Villegas, rightwing leaders will have to distance themselves from the violence perpetrated by small bands of extremists.

If opposition leaders condemned the roadblocks and destruction of public property, the violence "would decrease considerably," said Villegas, chiding them for their silence on the violence.

The anti-government protests, which broke out on Feb. 12 in several cities, have left 39 people dead and hundreds of others injured, and led to the arrests of opposition leaders accused of inciting the violence.

The wave of protests has been part of a rightwing campaign, dubbed "the exit," that calls for Maduro's ouster. Endi

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