MIAMI.- Less than two months before the presidential elections are held in Venezuela, scheduled for July 28, the Chavista regime once again fails to comply with part of the Barbados Agreement. The dictatorship withdrew the invitation to the European Union as observers, after describing as “hostile” the bloc's request to reconsider the sanctions measure for some regime officials.
Given this measure by the National Electoral Council, announced by the rector Elvis Amoroso, of Chavista line, the former heads of State and Government participating in the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA), express in a statement “their concern and “They consider the announcement by the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro Moros of the rejection of international observation by the European Union to be extremely serious (…) They consider that such a measure compromises the legitimacy of the proposed presidential elections.”
In mid-May, the EU ratified sanctions against 50 officials, although it temporarily suspended that of Amoroso, who at the time called the measure “blackmail.” Three other former directors of that institution were also beneficiaries.
He IDEA Groupin its statement, also points out that “the rejection of the European mission, which includes the already exclusion of qualified and impartial electoral observation from the Organization of American States (OAS), apart from violating express and contrary provisions of the Agreements of Barbados, joins the decision of the Electoral Power, subject to the dictatorship, to accept only complacent, inexperienced observation missions, or those who have endorsed its electoral crimes during recent decades.
The delegation of the European Union in Caracas – on its official account on the social network to “reconsider their decision” to the electoral authorities.
“The Venezuelan people should be able to elect their president in credible, transparent and competitive elections supported by international observation, including the European Union, which has a long and distinguished record of independent and impartial observation,” the bloc's statement said.
A rejection that sets off alarms
A recent poll that measured voting intentions ahead of the presidential elections in Venezuela showed a wide advantage for the candidate of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), Edmundo González Urrutia, with 61.1%, compared to Nicolás Maduro, who is seeking re-election. for a third term, and who obtained only 9.8%.
The refusal by the Nicolás Maduro regime not to invite observers from the European Union, the IDEA Group warns about the intentions that the dictatorship may have to remain in power
“We warn that, by refusing to accept independent and technically enabled international electoral observation, the dictatorship is compromising the legitimacy of the proposed presidential elections, which it intends to carry out at its discretion,” continues the statement signed by 30 IDEA members, including former presidents and former heads of government. “We endorse the contents of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, according to which 'the achievement of authentic democratic elections is part of the establishment of a broader set of democratic governance processes and institutions'; given which 'genuine democratic elections, like other human rights, and more generally democracy, cannot be carried out without the protection provided by the rule of law'. Therefore, international election observation is to be carried out for the benefit of the people of the country holding the elections and is not interested in any particular electoral outcome. You are only interested in results to the extent that they are communicated honestly and accurately, in a transparent and timely manner.
The EU sent a mission in 2021 for the last mayoral and gubernatorial elections, in which it identified considerable improvements in the voting system as well as irregularities. Their presence ended abruptly after Maduro branded them “enemies” and “spies.”
