On Wednesday 28 June, the EU called for an end to violence and for the use of force to be avoided. A police helicopter had shot at the headquarters of Venezuela's Supreme Court the previous day, as well as at the Ministry of the Interior, without leaving any victims.
Saying that following these events "the tensions and violence seem to have gone a step further", the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) stated that the EU expects "all parties to urgently put an end to violence and avoid the use of force". "Violence will only deepen the divisions in the country and put more obstacles in the way of a peaceful democratic solution", the spokesperson said in a press release.
The EEAS spokesperson warned that the EU expected the Venezuelan authorities and political actors to refrain from initiatives that would further polarise the country and increase confrontation. The spokesperson also said that the EU expected the Venezuelan authorities and political actors to respect the constitution and its democratic principles, rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms. "Common ground to work towards a peaceful way out of the crisis can be found only through dialogue, political will and courage", the spokesperson added. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)