Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and a bloc of opposition lawmakers reached an agreement on Tuesday to begin formal talks to stop the nation's worst political unrest in a decade.  The Vatican and Union of South American Nations (Unasur) are invited to mediate.

“We're not trying to convince the opposition to become ‘Chavistas’ nor are they trying to convince us to abandon the path of the revolution and socialism,” Vice President Jorge Arreaza said.

Maduro would be confronted with Venezuela’s crime and economic problems at the top of the agenda of the talks, the main issues to the protesters who’ve mostly marched peacefully in organized protests.  Democratic Unity (MUD) opposition coalition leader Ramon Guillermo Aveledo said the opposition would ensure that students, who have led the wave of protests, would not be forgotten in the talks.

But once the peaceful demonstrators go home, the streets turn violent with masked and hooded protesters throwing bricks and Molotov cocktails at police and pro-government supporters.  39 people have died in the violence, and hundreds have been hurt.