He European Parliament recognized the opposition leader on Thursday Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as legitimate and democratically elected president of Venezuelain a non-binding text that was approved with the yes of the European People’s Partythe ultraconservatives and the extreme right.
The resolution, approved with 309 votes in favor, 201 against and 12 abstentions, also recognizes Maria Corina Machado as leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela.
However, due to an amendment by social democrats, liberals and greens that was passed, the text stops short of calling for the European Union and its member states – who have the authority over foreign policy – to join in recognizing González Urrutia.
This is the first time in the current legislature that the European People’s Party has voted with the far right rather than with the bloc to its left in the hemicycle (social democrats, liberals and greens) that traditionally makes all decisions in the European Parliament.
Among the larger groups, the Social Democrats, who agreed with most of the approved text but for whom the recognition of González as president and the joint text with the far right was a red line, were left out of the majority; the Liberals, who also reject the breaking of the cordon sanitaire and did not even cast their vote in protest; and the Greens.
Only a group of Portuguese socialists and a liberal group deviated from the position of their groups.
The Europe of Sovereign Nationsa second, smaller far-right group, did not sit at the negotiating table for the resolution but also voted overwhelmingly in favour.
In the text, MEPs urge the European Union and its member states to do “everything possible” to ensure that González Urrutia can assume the presidency of Venezuela on 10 January 2025.
«Respect for the will of the Venezuelan people, as expressed in the elections, remains the only way for Venezuela to restore democracy, enable a peaceful and genuine transition and resolve the current humanitarian and socio-economic crisis»says the European Parliament.
They also ask the International Criminal Court to include ongoing human rights violations and arbitrary detentions in its investigations into alleged crimes against humanity committed by the regime Nicolas Madurowho was proclaimed president-elect by the National Electoral Council of Venezuela without providing the voting records table by table as required by law.
The group also calls for the “immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons” and welcomes the Spanish government’s decision to grant political asylum to González, which, it says, allows “him to be protected and maintain a viable perspective of resolving the political impasse.”
On the other hand, they call on governments and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Joseph Borrellto reinstate sanctions against members of the National Electoral Council from Venezuela “as a sign of goodwill” and that the rest of the sanctions against the regime be extended and expanded.
“If there is no peaceful transfer of power and restoration of democracy on January 10, 2025, there will be a new migratory exodus to other countries in the region, similar to the one that has led nearly eight million Venezuelans to flee the country in recent years.”warn MEPs.
With this resolution, the European Parliament is going – symbolically – further than the Council of the European Union, whose foreign ministers are responsible for community foreign policy and who at the end of August decided not to recognise Maduro as president, but not to do so with the opposition leader either. EFE (I)
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