The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, warned on Tuesday 16 July, that the Union was ready to impose sanctions on security forces responsible for torture or human rights violations in Venezuela.
"In light of the serious situation reported” by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, in a report published on 4 July, "the EU is ready to start work towards applying targeted measures for those members of the security forces involved in torture and other serious violations of human rights", she announced in a statement on behalf of the EU. "The tragic death of Captain Acosta Arévalo, while in custody of the Venezuelan security forces is a ‘stark example’ of such continued deterioration of the human rights situation", she said, while a European source told EUROPE, Europapress and AFP that Arévalo’s death was "clearly due to torture”.
More generally, supporting the conclusions of Ms Bachelet's report, which confirms "in a clear and detailed manner the extent and seriousness of the human rights violations, the erosion of the rule of law and the dismantlement of democratic institutions in the country", the High Representative called on the regime "for an immediate halt of the widespread human rights violations" and to engage in full cooperation with the United Nations in implementing the recommendations contained in the report. She stated that the EU was ready to assist the High Commissioner.
The EU could also extend its targeted measures if the ongoing negotiations in the Oslo talks "fail to produce any concrete results", warned Ms Mogherini, describing this process as "the main way to overcome the crisis".
She therefore called for "genuine engagement and the necessary flexibility to urgently reach a result that enables transparent and internationally monitored elections, the reinstitutionalisation of the relevant public powers and that lays the basis for national reconciliation and economic recovery".
According to Ms Mogherini, there is a need for increased coordination among all international actors to support the work. In this regard, the EU will continue its efforts, in particular through the International Contact Group and its Special Adviser, Enrique Iglesias, "to support such a peaceful electoral path as a way out of the Venezuelan crisis". Europeans are currently considering ways to support the Oslo process and, according to a European source, the EU stands ready to assist in the implementation of an agreement, if it is reached and if the parties request it.
On Tuesday 16 July, after meeting the ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee on his recent visit to Caracas, Enrique Iglesias met with high-level representatives of the International Contact Group (ICG) in Brussels. According to a statement from the European External Action Service, Mr Iglesias and ICG representatives discussed the latest attempts of the working groups in the electoral and humanitarian fields. In particular, participants agreed to continue humanitarian diplomacy efforts to facilitate the establishment and operations of humanitarian actors in the country. They stressed the urgent need to increase humanitarian funding and support ongoing donor coordination efforts.
Participants also agreed to continue communication efforts with relevant international partners, including Mr Iglesias' participation in the 'Lima Group' meeting in Buenos Aires and the International Conference on Venezuela on 6 August in Lima, and close contacts with the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)