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The special mission sent last week by the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union to Venezuela has unleashed a political storm in Brussels.

Josep Borrell sent this mission to Caracas to negotiate with the Government of Nicolás Maduro a postponement of the elections called for December 6.

Borrell believes that the short time remaining for the elections makes it impossible to guarantee the holding of free and democratic elections.

For this reason, he

wants to buy time to negotiate that these elections are held

, as explained from his department.

The aforementioned mission also maintained contacts with the opposition, including the president in charge of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, with whom it met, as explained from the office of the High Representative.

Even so, the team of the president in charge assures that they were notified of the trip very quickly, when the mission was already flying to Caracas.

This move by Borrell has raised the maximum suspicions of the opposition to Maduro.

In Brussels, both the European People's Party and Renew Europe (the Liberals, where Ciudadanos is integrated) have categorically rejected it because they consider that it "whitewashes the Nicolás Maduro regime" and

"breaks with the position that the EU had maintained until now"

.

For all these reasons, they demand explanations from Borrell to clarify whether it was a unilateral decision of his or if he had the support of the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen.

Both political groups - majority in the European Parliament together with the Socialists - are presenting initiatives to demand explanations.

The leadership of Renovar Europa will meet today and

register an urgent request for the appearance of Josep Borrell in the next Plenary of the European Parliament

, as explained by this group to EL MUNDO.

The Liberals yesterday sent several written questions to Borrell, asking who made this decision, what objectives the mission had and who was notified.

Renew Europe wants to know whether Borrell acted on his own account or with the support of the Commission and the EU member states.

Cs MEP

Jordi Cañas

believes that if it were confirmed that Borrell has acted outside the president, as some diplomatic sources in Brussels claim,

"that would be enough to force his immediate departure from the European Commission."

Dolors Montserrat

(PP) and Jordi Cañas (Cs)

MEPs

agree on the analysis: "It represents a 180-degree turn for the EU's policy on Venezuela."

And both also agree in denouncing that

"Borrell behaves like a minister of Pedro Sánchez and not like a vice president of the European Commission

.

"

In fact, Sánchez and Borrell met last week in Brussels.

And the position defended by the former Foreign Minister with Venezuela coincides with the new policy of Spain towards the Latin American dictatorship.

The EPP sent a harsh letter to Borrell last Thursday in which it accused him of having made "a strategic error because it whitewashed Maduro's totalitarian regime by giving it the appearance of normality."

This decision, says the letter, signed by the entire EPP leadership, headed by

Manfred Vebber

, "represents a substantial change in the political position" of the EU with respect to Venezuela.

"It would be unthinkable," the letter added, "to send an EU mission to speak to the Lukashenko regime and turn its back on the Belarusian opposition."

The head of the PP Delegation in Europe, Dolors Montserrat, explained yesterday to EL MUNDO that the position in the entire EPP is "unanimous" in its criticism of Borrell because

"it gives air to a dictatorship that has committed crimes against humanity."

Borrell's office explained yesterday to this newspaper that the also vice president of the Commission informed the member states of the mission before his departure for Caracas.

And they highlight that this type of mission is a "habitual diplomatic practice."

A spokesman for the High Representative stated emphatically that

"there is no change in European policy with Venezuela

.

"

And he added that most member states recognize Juan Guaidó as president in charge, but that now "a window of opportunity opens to support a peaceful and democratic transition in Venezuela," as Borrell himself assured at a press conference on the 21st. of September.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Venezuela

  • European Comission

  • Dolors Montserrat

  • Josep Borrell

  • European Parliament

  • Nicolas Maduro

  • Juan Guaidó

  • Spain

VenezuelaJosep Borrell demands conditions and delay the electoral date to send observers to Maduro's elections

Venezuela Juan Guaidó, to the EU: "If we reduce our demands we benefit the repressor"

VenezuelaSpain would support the elections in Venezuela if there are democratic conditions

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