CARACAS.- The opposition leader Maria Corina Machado thanked the emergency resolution approved by the European Parliament (EP) that supported the negotiations in Barbados and considered that without the participation of the leader of Vente Venezuela, the presidential elections in Venezuela would not be fair.
“I thank all political groups in the European Parliament who with their vote today ratified their support for the fight for clean and free presidential elections in Venezuela this year,” Machado wrote on his social networks.
He added that “this resolution (that of the EP) establishes the support of European democrats for the Barbados Agreementwhich contemplates the conditions and guarantees essential for this election: the cessation of repression and persecution, the release of political prisoners, respect for the right to vote of Venezuelans, inside and outside the country, and the registration of the winning unitary candidacy in the primary elections”.
Machado confirmed that the opposition wants “that Europe observes clean elections in Venezuela and today’s resolution is progress towards achieving it.”
The resolution approved by the EPwith 446 votes in favor, 21 against and 32 abstentions, “underlines that the elections or the electoral results will not be recognized” if certain conditions such as Machado’s participation are not respected.
The EP expressed its condemnation of the disqualification of Machadoclaiming that the European Union (EU) increase sanctions against the Nicolás Maduro regime and adopt measures against the Supreme Court judges responsible for the disqualification.
Furthermore, the resolution of the European Parliament “firmly condemns” the attempts to remove Machado from the presidential race, who swept the opposition primaries, and denounces the “assaults, alleged forced disappearances and arrests and arrest warrants” against members of his team. .
The MEPs demand the Twenty-Seven to maintain and “intensify” the sanctions imposed on the Maduro regime “until there is a clear and permanent commitment, in line with the Barbados Agreementto defend basic democratic norms”.
In this sense, they demand new sanctions against the judges of the TSJ of Venezuelaan organization controlled by the regime, involved in attempts to veto Machado from the next presidential elections, scheduled for the end of the year in the South American country, as well as against members of the security forces responsible for systematic abuses against dissidents by ” chavismo”.
The EP maintains that the EU should not consider sending any electoral mission to Venezuela until “there are clear and credible guarantees” that the Barbados agreements are fully respected and the electoral roadmap, pointing out that Machado should be allowed to participate and the disqualified politicians should be reinstated.
The resolution follows the parliamentary debate in Strasbourg this week in which European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson called for compliance with the Barbados agreement to advance “free and transparent” presidential elections at the end of the year.
The Swedish commissioner criticized the Venezuelan authorities for the persecution of the opposition in the country, ensuring that the Maduro regime cannot choose its rivals in the presidential elections. In any case, he was open to sending European observers if the opposition participates, in reference to Machado’s situation.
FOUNTAIN: EDITORIAL / With information from Europa Press
