EU regrets exile of Edmundo González, but does not recognize him as winner of the elections

Borrell, representative of the EU, is concerned about the situation in Venezuela / Photo: La Verdad

The European Union insisted this Monday on not recognizing Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela but neither did it recognize the opposition candidate Edmundo González, according to the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, in New York.

Borrell detailed in a meeting with the media that he held an informal meeting with the European foreign ministers on the margins of the UN General Assembly, focused on the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and Spain asked to address the situation in Venezuela.

“They know that we cannot recognize the legitimacy of the democratically elected (Nicolás) Maduro, that we regret that Edmundo (González), the opposition candidate, had to leave the country and seek political asylum in Spain,” said the diplomat.

Statements

The statements reaffirm the EU’s diplomatic position after this week the European Parliament approved a non-binding resolution that recognizes González as the legitimate winner of the Venezuelan elections on July 28.

He added that the EU will continue to “support Venezuela’s right” to democracy, freedom and political activity, and said it has called on the Venezuelan authorities to “end the repression, arbitrary arrest and harassment of the opposition and civil society.”

In addition, he called “for the immediate return of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (Völker Turk) to Caracas” and stated that “only a solution led by Venezuelans, peaceful and inclusive will make a democratic transition possible in Venezuela”.

Zulia / The Truth