The Venezuelan government has informed the Spanish Senate that it will not allow an institutional delegation to enter the country for the upcoming presidential elections. This decision comes as no formal invitation for observing the elections has been received from the Venezuelan authorities.
According to a verbal note from the Venezuelan Embassy in Madrid, dated July 17, the National Electoral Council’s (CNE) election accompaniment program does not include a mission for international oversight from the Spanish Senate. The note emphasizes that parliamentary representatives attempting to enter Venezuela without being part of the designated program will be refused entry.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Spain had communicated a resolution from the Senate’s Committee expressing support for an independent electoral observation mission for the presidential elections. This was noted in the Embassy’s communication.
The planned delegation, which had not yet finalized its members but was expected to include representatives from both the Popular Party (PP) and the Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), stemmed from an invitation made by the opposition leader María Corina Machado on June 10. She had called on members of the Ibero-American Affairs Commission to witness the elections following President Nicolás Maduro’s decision to revoke permission for a European Union observation mission.
Sources from the Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed that they conveyed the Senate’s request to Venezuelan authorities, alongside the PP’s request in Congress, believing there would be no issues in doing so. They also communicated Caracas’ response to these requests.
Despite the government’s warning, many members of the Popular Party are proceeding with plans to send a delegation to support the opposition during the elections. This delegation is motivated by an invitation from Machado and the opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González. The group will include prominent figures such as Miguel Tellado, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, Macarena Montesinos, and Belén Hoyo. Tellado stated that they would be there to show solidarity with the opposition, monitor the election’s integrity, and denounce any authoritarian actions.
Additionally, the European People’s Party (EPP) announced its plan to send an electoral accompaniment delegation to Caracas, featuring notable members like Esteban González Pons and Gabriel Mato, along with Portuguese MEP Sebastião Bugalho. While the Venezuelan Embassy’s note specifically mentioned the Senate delegation, the warning could also apply to these other groups, as none have received a formal invitation from the CNE.
Diplomatic sources highlighted that although Spanish nationals don’t require a visa for tourism in Venezuela, this context may differ, leading to potential expulsion if they do not meet immigration regulations. Furthermore, the Venezuelan authorities have not processed any visas for these representatives.
It is worth recalling that in February 2019, Nicolas Maduro’s government expelled a delegation of five MEPs from the EPP who had visited Caracas at the invitation of the then-opposition-led National Assembly, which was recognized by the European Parliament as the legitimate government. The delegation, which included Pons and Mato, was sent back on the same flight they arrived on.
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