08/05/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 8 May, the ambassadors of Member States to the European Union (Coreper) agreed to extend the European sanctions targeting 54 dignitaries of the Maduro regime, which are due to expire on Tuesday 14 May (see EUROPE 13291/36). This extension could again be for a period of six months, as was the case last November: this would encourage the Venezuelan authorities to create the conditions for holding free and credible presidential elections at the end of July. The European Parliament has called for sanctions to be strengthened so that they include the Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro (see EUROPE 13371/9). The EU will decide in due course whether or not to send an election observation mission to Venezuela: this will be on the basis of a report that is still being prepared on the exploratory mission recently carried out by European officials (see EUROPE 13404/22). (MB)