Venezuela expressed this Saturday to the European Union “readiness for dialogue” and asked to “lift” sanctions, at a meeting in Turkey between its foreign minister, Félix Plasencia, and the head of the bloc’s diplomacy, Josep Borrell, according to an official statement.
The appointment takes place days after envoys from the United States government were received in Caracas by the Venezuelan president, Nicholas Maduroat a time when the White House imposed an embargo on Russia’s oil for its invasion of Ukraine.
“Venezuela’s willingness to engage in peaceful dialogue” was reaffirmed by Plasencia in his meeting with Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs, indicated a press release from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.
Plasencia “reiterated the demand” to “lift the unilateral coercive measures” established by the bloc against the Caribbean country, he specified.
The meeting, during a diplomatic forum in the Turkish city of Antalya, “took place in a friendly and cordial atmosphere,” according to the text.
“The EU supports dialogue in Mexico,” Borrell said on Twitter, referring to the resumption of negotiations between delegates from Maduro and the opposition, which remained frozen for five months.
“The recommendations of the Electoral Observation Mission (of the) EU are a good basis for future elections and democratic reforms,” added the diplomat, who assured that “the serious impact of the war against Ukraine” was also addressed, without giving details.
The EU sent observers to the November 2021 gubernatorial and mayoral elections. Its report reflected irregularities such as the “arbitrary disqualification of opposition candidates” and “the use of state resources in the campaign”, but noted “improvements” with respect to previous elections .
Like United Statesthe European Union ignored in 2018 the re-election of Mature in votes boycotted by the majority of the opposition, who denounced them as fraudulent. Several countries of the block recognized in 2019 as interim president the opposition leader Juan Guaidó, without this being able to displace the socialist president from power.
Last weekend, Maduro received high-ranking US officials at the presidential palace, in a meeting where “a variety of issues” were discussed, including “energy securityAccording to Joe Biden administration spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
On Friday, at the forum in Antalya, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said she hopes that the “constructive dialogue (with the United States) can move forward.”
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