The spokeswoman for the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Nabila Massrali, assured on Friday 25 September that the mission dispatched to Caracas composed of two diplomats from the European External Action Service (EEAS) was “not at all a clandestine mission”.
“Member States were informed before the departure of these two diplomats”, she said. These two people are responsible for carrying out their “diplomatic work”, which includes “meeting with all political forces, civil society and the church”, she added. She pointed out that other missions with similar objectives had previously been dispatched by the International Contact Group on Venezuela.
The EU wishes to continue its talks with the Maduro regime and the political opposition to see whether the conditions for holding legislative elections that would meet international democratic standards can be met and be the subject of an EU Election Observation Mission.
Among the conditions put forward are the postponement for a few months of the legislative elections, currently scheduled for early December, the reform of the Venezuelan National Electoral Council and a fair and secure participation of all political parties.
On Thursday, via Twitter, the Chairman of the EPP group in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber of Germany, had relayed the accusations of the Spanish Partido Popular accusing the High Representative of the Union and close friend of the Spanish government, Josep Borrell, of “legitimising” the Maduro regime through clandestine diplomatic missions.
The legislative elections are aimed at renewing the Venezuelan National Assembly, the only political body currently in opposition hands. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)