EU Team Visits Venezuela to Seek Fairer Congressional Vote

(Bloomberg) -- A European Union mission has arrived in Venezuela to talk with political leaders about ensuring fairer conditions for Dec. 6 congressional elections, as some opposition groups weigh whether to participate.

“An EU mission is in Caracas this week to have contacts with all stakeholders, including all main political forces, civil society and the church,” the EU’s press office said in reply to written questions.

EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell has called for authorities to ensure that democratic conditions are met.

Nicolas Maduro’s government and a faction of the opposition that may be willing to participate in the vote have invited the EU to deploy an electoral observation mission. However, Borrell has said that this won’t be possible without “important changes” in the timing of the election.

The segment of the opposition led by former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles is willing to participate if given guarantees to ensure a minimum level of fairness. Capriles and his allies are calling for the delay of the election to allow monitors from the EU to attend.

Without a delay, an EU mission wouldn’t have the six months they require to prepare for the event. The majority of the opposition led by the National Assembly’s president Juan Guaido is boycotting the elections.

In a webcast, Guaido said he’s still waiting for confirmation of the EU delegates’ visit and reiterated his view that elections won’t be fair. Carrie Filipetti, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cuba and Venezuela in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in a press conference that the EU shouldn’t negotiate with the Maduro regime.

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