:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/5QUUG6W57BG6XINM24CLEQ7SP4 "The European Parliament warned that it will not recognize the elections in Venezuela if María Corina Machado is not a candidate")
The European Parliament has issued a strong warning to Venezuela’s Chavista regime, stating that it will not recognize the upcoming presidential elections unless the main opposition candidate, María Corina Machado, is allowed to participate. The MEPs firmly condemned the attacks against the Venezuelan opposition and the disqualification of Machado by the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela (TSJ). The Parliament also expressed support for Machado’s candidacy, emphasizing that the 2024 elections in Venezuela could mark a turning point in the country’s return to democracy if the terms of the Barbados agreement are respected.
In response to the situation in Venezuela, the European Parliament urged European Union Member States to toughen existing sanctions against the Maduro regime. They also called for more targeted sanctions against judges of the Venezuelan Supreme Court and members of the Venezuelan security forces implicated in systematic abuses against opponents of the regime. Additionally, the EU will not consider sending any electoral observation mission to Venezuela until there are clear and credible guarantees that the electoral roadmap is being fully respected.
In the midst of the political turmoil, dozens of Chavistas attacked supporters of María Corina Machado with “sticks and stones” during an event on the outskirts of Caracas. Machado denounced the attack and launched an “international alert,” accusing President Nicolás Maduro of attempting to participate in the presidential elections “by bad means.”
Vente Venezuela (VV), the party of Machado, shared images of the attack on social media, highlighting the violation of freedom of association and assembly. The party called on the international community to bring attention to these abuses, which they stated are becoming more accentuated in Venezuela.
This latest development adds to the growing international concern over the situation in Venezuela and the upcoming elections, with the European Parliament taking a clear stance against the Maduro regime’s actions. (With information from EFE)