17/07/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 17 July, the Christian Democrat Group (EPP) in the European Parliament announced that three of its representatives - the Spaniards Esteban Gonzalez Pons and Gabriel Mato and the Portuguese Sebastião Bugalho - would be travelling to Venezuela to observe the presidential elections on Sunday 28 July, at the request of Venezuelan opponents María Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, from the ‘Con VZLA’ platform. “It is important that the allies of the democratic cause in Venezuela can accompany us and be witness of this event”, wrote Ms Machado, who is not allowed to stand as a candidate despite having won the primary elections for the Venezuelan political opposition, to the EPP group. In May, the Venezuelan authorities withdrew their invitation to the EU to observe the presidential elections (see EUROPE 13419/2). (MB)