This Monday, March 22, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated that regional and municipal elections in Venezuela could open the door for a political agreement between the government of President Nicolas Maduro and opposition factions, according to a dispatch by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“We still do not know how the situation in Venezuela will evolve, but the elections could bring a new opportunity to seek an agreement between the government and the opposition,” said Borrell as he left a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. Borrell’s statement counters EU allegations that, for the past several years, elections in Venezuela “failed to comply with the minimum international standards.”
The head of European diplomacy claimed that agreement “has not been possible in the last elections”—referring to the boycott carried out by an undemocratic sector of the opposition, backed by the European Union and the United States, the forces who are truly promoting a stalemate in Venezuela’s political situation.
#22Mar | Borrell señala que podría haber acuerdo político en Venezuela para las elecciones de gobernadores y alcaldes https://t.co/0nfyoJ9IZP
— El Nacional (@ElNacionalWeb) March 22, 2021
Borrell pointed out that “perhaps it [agreement] could happen in the next elections” and that “the EU will do everything possible to help.”
The parliamentary elections were constitutionally scheduled for 2020 and were held on December 6, undeterred by EU attempts to delay the date set by the authorities. Since the beginning of 2020, the Bolivian Government had extended an invitation to the European body to observe the elections, but they declined at the last minute, alleging lack of time and conditions, despite the fact that the Venezuelan government made several concessions to facilitate their attendance.
Subsequently, Brussels decided to toe the line supported by the sector promoting the boycott, and refused to acknowledge the results, citing an alleged absence of conditions for the elections to be classified as free, democratic, and transparent, and imposed sanctions on officials who facilitated the realization of the democratic process. This caused the EU ambassador in Caracas to be designated as persona non grata and, consequently, the designation was reciprocated by Brussels against the Venezuelan ambassador to the EU, Claudia Salerno.
🇪🇺LA UNIÓN EUROPEA ASUME CON VERGONZANTE MANSEDUMBRE su papel de segundón de los designios imperiales. La versión europea de Almagro, Josep Borrel, se reunirá con el canciller gringa para hablar (conspirar) de Venezuela.
¡DEJEN AL MUNDO EN PAZ!https://t.co/DxVWTSINum— Tania Valentina Díaz (@taniapsuv) March 22, 2021
In his exchange with the press, Borrell also referred to the meeting he will hold on Wednesday with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who will travel to Brussels.
“Of course we will talk about Venezuela,” admitted Borrell. “With the new administration, I think it will be possible to coordinate our positions on Venezuela,” he commented. Analysts interpret this coordination as the European Union receiving directions from Washington on how to proceed regarding Venezuela.
Featured image: European neocolonialists disoriented about Venezuela. Photo by Getty Images.
(La IguanaTV) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
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