The International Contact Group on Venezuela, established on the initiative of European and Latin American countries, will hold its inaugural meeting on Thursday, 7 February, in Montevideo (Uruguay) in the presence of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini.
This group, which includes eight EU Member States (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and four Latin American countries (Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Uruguay), aims to create the conditions for holding new presidential elections in 90 days, as the EU does not recognise Nicolás Maduro's second presidential term.
On the European side, a two-step process is envisaged within the task force: - to establish a shared diagnosis of the situation on the ground and the process facilitating a peaceful political solution to the Venezuelan crisis; - to involve all Venezuelan actors, both the Maduro regime and the political opposition, and see how to make the process developed a reality.
In the absence of a consensus by the Twenty-Eight (see EUROPE 12186), 19 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) recognised self-proclaimed President Juan Guaidó as the interim President of Venezuela in order for him to call for new presidential elections. They were joined by Malta on Tuesday.
EU increases humanitarian aid by €5 million
On the same day, the European Commission announced the mobilisation of €5 million in emergency aid (access to health care, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, access to education, protection, shelter, and food) for the most vulnerable people in Venezuela and neighbouring countries. The aid will be channelled through partner humanitarian organisations on the ground.
The EU, whose staff in Managua and Bogota facilitate the delivery of European humanitarian aid to Venezuela, moreover intends to open a humanitarian office in Caracas, the Commission says. The Commission already mobilised €34 million in emergency aid in 2018 in response to this crisis. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion and Aminata Niang)