The head of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, Elvis Amoroso, insisted on Thursday that all sanctions against the country’s leaders must be lifted before the EU can send observers to the presidential election on 28 July.
Amoroso, an ally of the administration of President Nicolas Maduro, withdrew the invitation to the European Union in late May following the approval of punitive measures against approximately 50 Venezuelan officials.
“No lifting of sanctions and the blockade against the Venezuelan people means no reason for EU observers to come to Venezuela, as they are showing contempt for all Venezuelans,” Amoroso told the press.
The EU had asked the National Electoral Council (CNE) to “reconsider its decision,” pointing out that both ruling-party and opposition delegates had accepted the principle of the observation mission in agreements signed in Barbados in October.
The US regretted the action, indicating it contradicted commitments made to support the integrity of the electoral process.
Washington has imposed sanctions on Venezuela since 2018, following the contentious re-election of President Maduro. The sanctions were partially lifted for six months in response to the Barbados agreement, but were reimposed in April as the US believed Maduro continued his policy of suppressing the opposition ahead of the presidential election.
In contrast, the EU lifted individual sanctions against four members of the CNE, including Amoroso, in a gesture of goodwill in mid-May, but maintained sanctions against the leadership, notably Maduro.
During an electoral observation mission in 2021, the EU reported “improvements” but made 23 recommendations, including an end to disqualifying opposition candidates. At that time, Maduro labelled the observers “enemies” and “spies.”
