The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and Venezuela are still engaged in talks to agree on the body's first visit to the country in the last five years, Thursday said sources close to the negotiations.

The talks to agree on the Schedule for IACHR's visit to Venezuela are taking place normally, and without disruptions because of the removal of Venezuelan Commissioner Freddy Gutiérrez from his position last week, the sources added.

In fact, the chair of the Commission, Salvadorian Florentín Meléndez over the last few weeks has met with Venezuelan diplomats to boost the visit the IACHR has unsuccessfully tried to perform in the last years, Efe reported.

If President Hugo Chávez' government ultimately authorizes the visit, a delegation of the Commission, likely to be headed by Meléndez and the Rapporteur for Venezuela, Brazilian Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, is traveling to Venezuela to check human rights situation, among other issues.

The last time the Commission visited Venezuela was in May 2002.

According to diplomatic sources, tensions between IACHR and Venezuela have emerged because the Venezuelan government believes the Commission did not take a strong stance against a failed coup on April 11, 2002.