Positions expressed by EU officials regarding the events in Venezuela were not neutral enough to allow the European Union to participate as a full-fledged mediator in political dialogue, the country’s ambassador to Brussels, Claudia Salerno Caldera says.
“After the attempted coup in Venezuela, and taking into account the fact that the EU countries are now divided between those who support it and those who do not recognize this attempt, still considering Maduro as the only president, and also taking into account some radical positions, which were voiced by a number of these countries, I do not think that they are now neutral enough to be involved [in the mediation process]”, the ambassador said.
“We worked intensively with various EU countries, but also with colleagues in the region who expressed their interest in promoting various decisions regarding our country”, she said, answering whether Venezuelan diplomats had succeeded in conveying to EU officials the position on the unacceptability of an ultimatum previously put forward by a number of countries.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told Sputnik Tuesday that he was ready to sit at the negotiating table with the opposition with the participation of international mediators.
At the same time, the European Commissioner for Crisis Response Christos Stylianides told the European Parliament that such a contact group was not intended to conduct a direct dialogue between the conflicting parties in Venezuela.
Venezuela is currently going through a severe political crisis, with Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled Venezuelan National Assembly, having proclaimed himself the country’s interim president on 23 January. The United States and its several allies have instantly recognized Guaido.
Some of the EU countries, including the UK, Germany, France, and Spain declared on Saturday their intention to recognise Juan Guaido as the country’s interim president if Caracas does not announce snap presidential elections within eight days.