The EU finalizes more sanctions against the Maduro Government for the lack of democratic transition in Venezuela

BRUSSELS Dec. 12 () –

The member states of the European Union are finalizing the approval of more sanctions against the Government of Nicolás Maduro due to the lack of democratic transition in Venezuela after the elections of July 28, in which the National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed the president the winner. without presenting the minutes that prove the result.

The 27 have been working for weeks at a technical level on new sanctions to expand the EU’s ‘blacklist’, various diplomatic sources have confirmed to Europa Press, pointing to a future meeting of ambassadors on December 20 for the possible adoption of more restrictions. .

The scenario is that the new punitive measures come into force for January 10, the date scheduled for the inauguration of the new president in Venezuela and which the EU has set for the renewal of the sanctions in force in view of the events in the country after the July elections. The sanctions will increase the EU’s pressure on Caracas, as the bloc will expand a list that already includes 55 Chavista leaders, including Delcy Rodriguez, current Minister of Economy and Executive Vice President, and Diosdado Cabello, current Minister of Interior Relations and Justice. .

The number of people handled by the EU in this new batch has not yet been revealed, although the United States has already adopted its own measures in which it has accused 21 senior officials of damaging the electoral process in Venezuela and repressing the Venezuelan people. , accusing Maduro of “falsely proclaiming his victory and violating democratic principles.”

Among the people sanctioned by Washington, the official Daniella Desiree Cabello stands out, and the director of Venezuelan Intelligence, Alexis José Rodríguez Cabello, daughter and cousin respectively of the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, a strong man of Chavismo.

SPAIN OPENS TO MORE SANCTIONS EVEN THOUGH “THERE ARE ALREADY EXTENSIVE SANCTIONS”

The plans of the 27 were already advanced in October by the then EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, when in his penultimate meeting of foreign ministers of the bloc he announced that the EU was going to “review the system of sanctions” against a government that “does not consider that it has won the elections.” In this way, the EU was taking steps to increase pressure on the Chavista regime with an eye toward January 2025, when the change of power in the presidency should occur.

For his part, the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has avoided confirming the EU’s plans although he has opened up to studying new sanctions against Venezuela. “There are sanctions already so extensive that it is even difficult to find new people to sanction. But we are open to any measure,” he said in statements before participating in a meeting at NATO.

It is more complicated to form a common front in the EU to recognize Edmundo González as the elected president of Venezuela, which would be to endorse his electoral victory in July. In recent days, the opposition leader has assured that he will travel to Venezuela to take office and urged Spain to assume his “full recognition” as the winner of the presidential elections.

Taking this step is the responsibility of each Member State and for the moment only Italy, in the EU, in addition to other powers such as the United States, have designated the veteran opponent with the formula of “president-elect”, a recognition from which no political implication is derived. or diplomatic, unlike when the step was taken to designate Juan Guaidó acting president in 2019.