The only way Venezuela can overcome its crisis is to resume negotiations between the Maduro government and opposition parties, says Brussels.
At a meeting of the Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers, a statement was adopted regarding the outcome of the legislative elections held on 6 December 2020 and the EU’s policy towards Venezuela going forward.
The conclusions stress that the elections were a “missed opportunity for democracy” and were held without a national agreement on electoral conditions. The poll had failed to comply with the international standards for a democratic process, the ministers declared. The Council again called for the guarantee of all political and civil rights in Venezuela, for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and for the freedom and safety of opponents of President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Those responsible for extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and torture had to be brought to justice.
