On Tuesday 6 February in Strasbourg, Belgium’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbib, on behalf of the Council of the European Union, and Commissioner Ylva Johansson on behalf of the European Commission called for the “full” implementation of the Barbados Agreement reached at the end of 2023 between the political opposition and the Maduro regime, to enable free and credible presidential elections to be held in the second half of 2024.
Both took the view that the recent ruling by the Venezuelan Supreme Court, which confirmed the 15-year ineligibility of Maduro regime opponents María Corina Machado and Henrique Capriles, runs counter to the Barbados Agreement and should be annulled (see EUROPE 13338/14).
“The EU hopes that it will still be possible to hold credible elections with the participation of the opposition”, stressed Ms Lahbib. Sanctions targeting Maduro regime dignitaries, which run until May, will be reviewed “in the light of developments on the ground”, said Ms Johansson (see EUROPE 13291/36).
This Thursday, the European Parliament will adopt a resolution denouncing the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruling. In their respective draft resolutions, the EPP, Renew Europe and ECR groups advocate the adoption of new targeted sanctions for human rights violations. According to the Renew Europe group, these sanctions should apply to the Supreme Court judges who signed the ruling against Ms Machado. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)