G7 nations criticized Venezuela on Friday for withdrawing its invitation to the European Union (EU) to observe presidential elections on July 28 and called for it to guarantee the rights of the opposition, according to a draft of the final declaration of the annual G7 summit. .
“We are deeply concerned about the rights of opposition parties within the electoral process and the decision to withdraw the call for an EU election observation mission (…)”The G7 said on the draft that the AFP was able to consult.
In May, the pro-government National Electoral Council (CNE) announced its decision to withdraw from the European monitoring mission, condemning the group's “hostile attitude” and authorizing individual sanctions against around 50 officials.
Bringing G7 together Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom and USAOr, he asked Venezuela to guarantee “competitive and inclusive elections” and “free the persecution of opposition members and the immediate release of all political prisoners.”
Venezuela's dictator Nicolas Maduro is running for a third term in the election. Edmundo Gonzalez UrrutiaAppointed by the main opposition coalition on behalf of Maria Corina Machado, she is disqualified from public office.
Meanwhile, candidates for the presidency of Venezuela expressed their positions, some of them hostile, on the proposal of President Nicolás Maduro. Sign the pledge to ratify the election results on July 28.
The idea, developed last week by the official campaign command and reiterated by Maduro on Monday, was criticized this Tuesday by the candidate of the main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), Edmundo González Urrutia.
“Why sign an agreement, the government violated the agreements it signed in the first place, where we have the Barbados agreements.The former ambassador told reporters – at the end of a meeting with leaders in Caracas – referring to the agreement reached with the executive last October.
In this document of electoral guarantees, the parties agreed, among other institutions, that the EU would observe elections, which would not happen by canceling the invitation to the Community Assembly.
For his part, the candidate José Prieto felt that “in a normal country” there would be no need to sign treaties knowing the results, Because elections are “transparent” and “the majority respects the minority.”
“If there is a transparent process, the debtors will not be afraid of it (…), if there is respect for citizens' participation, we should not show signing this or that contract. During an interview with the channel, the vice chancellor criticized the PUD Globovision.
Additionally, Assemblyman Luis Eduardo Martinez reiterated his willingness to sign the pledge. and “waiting to be invited” by the National Electoral Council (CNE) to sign that document.
More than 21.6 million Venezuelans are invited to participate in the elections, in which Maduro is set to take office for a third consecutive term.
(With information from AFP)
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