On Tuesday 1 August, the EU spoke out against the arrest of two leaders of Venezuela's opposition ahead of the Venezuelan constituent assembly being set up as planned following the election on Sunday 30 July. The results of the election have not been recognised by the EU, the USA or the international community.
"It's clearly a step in the wrong direction", a spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini stated. "We continue to call on the Venezuelan government to work on urgent measures to re-establish trust, with the aim of de-escalating the tension", the spokesperson added.
The founder of the Voluntad Popular party ('Popular Will', right), Leopoldo Lopez, and the mayor of Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, were arrested at their homes in the middle of the night, according to their families. The two men were living under surveillance after they had already served time in prison (for nearly three and a half years in Lopez's case).
On Tuesday, the EU repeated that it did not recognise the results of the constituent assembly election, which was boycotted by the opposition and marred by violence and the death of at least 15 people. "We have doubts as to the validity of the result. The Commission cannot recognise the results as such. We are in discussion with the European Parliament about this issue", a Commission spokesperson stated, adding that the EU's position was coordinated by Mogherini.
The Venezuelan national electoral council (CNE) has claimed a turnout of 41.5%, whilst the opposition puts forward that of 12%.
The Venezuelan constituent assembly that was elected on 30 July is due to write a new Constitution, replacing the one enacted in 1999 by the late Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez. This constituent assembly is expected to give full powers to the current president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who has promised to lift parliamentary immunity from opposition deputies, who have been in the majority in the parliament since 2016. Maduro has also promised to take control of the public prosecutor.
Describing these elections as "illegitimate" and Maduro as a "dictator", the USA announced new sanctions on 31 July, with a freeze on all the assets the Venezuelan president possesses in the USA. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)