Caracas: Venezuela said on Tuesday it had withdrawn the European Union’s invitation to take part in July’s presidential elections, blaming the “practice of interference” through sanctions.
Elvis Amoroso, the head of the National Electoral Council, told reporters that it was “immoral” for the EU mission to monitor the elections, to know about neo-colonial practices and to intervene against Venezuela.
It also called for an asset freeze and “total lifting” of travel sanctions imposed by the EU against 50 Venezuelan government officials two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the EU eased several travel restrictions on Amoroso and his three colleagues to promote free and fair elections – a move the head of the electoral commission described as “blackmail”.
The EU delegation in Venezuela said on Tuesday it was “saddened” by what it called a “unilateral decision” and called on the National Electoral Council to reconsider the move.
In March, Caracas was invited by the United Nations to send a team of observers to the July 28 election, where President Nicolás Maduro will seek a third term, disqualifying his main rival.
He also invited the United Nations, the US-based Carter Center, BRICS and the African Union.
Maduro’s government and the opposition agreed last year to hold a free and fair vote in Barbados in 2024 with international observers.
The deal eased US sanctions against the oil-rich South American country and allowed US-based Chevron to resume limited crude output and prisoner swaps.
Since then, the Maduro-loyal Supreme Court has upheld the 15-year ban of opposition leader María Corina Machado on what it considers trumped-up charges and jailed several opposition leaders and other activists.
Maduro is accused of locking up dissidents ahead of elections and abusing government offices.
His election to a six-year term in 2018 was not recognized by the United States and dozens of other countries and was met with several sanctions.
After observing the regional and local elections in 2021, problems such as the use of public resources in the campaign and the “unreasonable disqualification” of the candidates were revealed.
The coalition has yet to accept Caracas’ initial invitation to return in 2024, but last month sent a team to discuss a possible observer mission with representatives of the Carter Center.
Maduro will face Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition’s choice to replace Machado.
The main opposition party, Popular Will, said in X that the decision to remove EU observers “endangers conducting transparent and credible elections”.
Earlier this month, human rights groups and UN experts cited an alarming increase in “persecution” in the South American country ahead of the election.
The NGO Foro Penal said Tuesday that there are 273 confirmed political prisoners in Venezuela, more than half of whom have not been convicted of any crime.
The UN Working Group on Enforced or Voluntary Disappearances has reported an increase in enforced disappearances, particularly of members of the opposition or the military, which it said could hinder free and fair elections.
Rights group Provea says Venezuelan security forces have killed more than 10,000 people and tortured 1,650 more in 10 years under Maduro.
