The European Commission charged again today against the disqualification of politicians in Venezuela in a debate in the European Parliament on the recent decision to prevent the opposition María Corina Machado from holding public office for 15 years.
“It is an extremely worrying evolution,” said the Financial Services Commissioner, Mairead McGuinness, on behalf of the Community Executive, who recalled that the authorities had previously disqualified other Venezuelan dissident leaders such as Enrique Capriles.
The commissioner pointed out that “the humanitarian, social and political crisis continues now that the 2024 (presidential) elections are approaching” with a decision that “undermines democracy, the rule of law and will only deepen the serious political and social crisis In Venezuela”.
McGuinnes regretted that the talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition remain “stalled” and called for “a democratic and peaceful solution” with “open and free elections in 2024.
“UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND ARBITRARY” DECISION
The debate in the European Parliament on Venezuela focused on the disqualification of María Corina Machado, registered to participate in the primary elections of the anti-Chavista opposition next October, prior to the presidential elections, but disqualified from competing for a popular election position for 15 years. .
Parliament will vote on Thursday the resolution condemning his disqualification.
“How long will the Venezuelan people have to put up with the tyranny of the regime?” asked the Spanish MEP Gabriel Mato (PP) at the beginning of the debate, who after a string of rhetorical questions concluded with a blunt: “Enough is enough !”.
Mato referred to the summit between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States to be held in Brussels next Monday and Tuesday, which he noted as a “magnificent opportunity to vigorously defend democracy” and in which “no Countries like Venezuela, Cuba or Nicaragua should participate”.
For his part, MEP Javi López (PSOE) regretted the disqualification of María Corina Machado in what he described as a “unconstitutional and arbitrary practice”.
López called for implementing the recommendations of the EU electoral observation mission in 2021 to “return the country to a democratic path with fair, free, inclusive and transparent elections.”
On behalf of the liberal group, the Spanish José Ramón Bauzá (Ciudadanos) pointed out that “in Venezuela there is no government to talk to, in Venezuela there is an opposition to help.”
From the Greens, the also Spanish Jordi Solé (ERC), for his part, pointed out that “we must guarantee an electoral process that guarantees the right of all political options on equal terms.” He described the recent 15-year disqualification” of María Corina Machado as “bad news” and urged the Venezuelan government and opposition to “resume dialogue.”
As a representative of the eurosceptic group of European Conservatives and Reformists, Hermann Tertsch (Vox) asked the EU for “unconditional firmness against the greatest murderer in America, which is the dictator (Nicolás) Maduro.”
Tertsch also referred to the EU-CELAC summit and stressed that “Maduro does not dare to come to Europe but insults us by sending Delcy Rodríguez, another criminal who is prohibited from entering the European Union” to represent Venezuela in a forum that described as a “sad farewell” for the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell.
On the contrary, the Spanish MEP Manu Pineda (Izquierda Unida) accused his colleagues of living in a “mixture of colonialist nostalgia and servility to what the boss sends: the United States.” He added that Machado “has called for a military intervention against his country, a coup d’état,” which is “a crime in any country.”
