Daniel Lozano Caracas

Caracas

Updated Thursday, February 8, 2024-2:13 p.m.

  • Venezuela A hundred Chavista radicals attack an act by María Corina Machado near Caracas with sticks and stones

With 446 votes in favor, 21 against and 32 abstentions, the European Parliament today resoundingly approved an emergency resolution in favor of the opposition leader, María Corina Machado, being a candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for this year. The MEPs consider that the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), which confirmed the disqualification of the liberal candidate, "has no legal basis" and is "unconstitutional and illegal", since it arises from "arbitrary and politically motivated accusations."

Popular, social democrats, liberals, greens and conservatives also denounced the attacks, forced disappearances, arrests and detention orders against representatives of civil society, human rights defenders and journalists. The resolution demands that the three opposition leaders detained in recent days be immediately released.

The European Parliament's support for the winner of the opposition primaries comes a few hours after a mob made up of a hundred radical Chavistas attacked a political event by Machado in Charallave, a municipality near Caracas, with sticks and stones. The revolutionary onslaught forced the evacuation of the opposition leader and caused several injuries, hit by stones.

The MEPs also accused the Venezuelan government of failing to comply with the Barbados Agreements with the opposition, which could mark a turning point in the face of recognition of the elections.

Position contrary to Spain

In the opposite direction to the strategy of the Spanish Government, which has asked that the sanctions against the Chavista leaders be made more flexible,

the European Parliament is committed to toughening them with "selective measures"

while there is no clear commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

"The most relevant thing about the resolution is the union of the European Parliament around the Venezuela issue and around the figure of María Corina as opposition leader and the right and need for her to be the candidate. Also the very clear support for the electoral route since there are free and transparent elections," Pedro Urruchurtu, international coordinator of Vente Venezuela, Machado's party, stressed to EL MUNDO.

"It is very positive that there is so much clarity, once again, on the Venezuela issue, and that they also surround María Corina as an opposition leader. All of this regardless of ideological issues, which also puts pressure on those who have not spoken out," Urruchurtu added.

The leftist and populist governments of Colombia, Brazil and Mexico maintain their closeness to Caracas and a common strategy to whitewash the Bolivarian revolution.