MEPs call for cancellation of Maduro’s invitation to EU-Celac summit

A group of MEPs from various political parties has asked the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to withdraw the invitation to President Nicolas Maduro for the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (EU-Celac) summit. It will be held in Buenos Aires on January 24.

MEPs felt Maduro’s presence at the summit would “insult the democratic values ​​and human rights” shared by the two regions, exacerbated by the recent political disqualification of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.

Machado, the national coordinator of the Vente Venezuela movement, was disqualified from public office for 15 years by the republic’s comptroller general, who accused him of administrative abuses while he was vice president.

MEPs condemned the move as “a new attack on the democratic opposition” in Venezuela and a “flagrant violation” of the political rights of Machado, a staunch defender of democracy and human rights in his country.

The signatories of the letter sent to Michael are Spaniards Dolares Montserrat (European People’s Party), Jordi Canas (Renew Europe) and Leopoldo López Gil (European People’s Party), Portuguese Paulo Rangel (European People’s Party), Italian Antonio Tajani. European People’s Party), Czech Tomasz Stekowski (European People’s Party), Polish Radoslaw Sikorski (European People’s Party) and Lithuanian Petras Ostravicius (Renew Europe).

In their letter, the MEPs recalled that Maduro had been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and had an arrest warrant issued by the United States for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

They point out that Maduro is responsible for the severe humanitarian, economic and social crisis afflicting Venezuela, which has led to the displacement of more than seven million people.

MEPs urged Michel to “defend the principles and values” that underpin the relationship between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, and urged him not to “legitimize with his existence” a regime that “represses and oppresses” the Venezuelan people.

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