Members of the European Parliament This Thursday, April 30, they urged the Council of the European Union not to lift sanctions imposed on Venezuelan officials, including Delcy Rodriguezuntil the country takes concrete steps towards a democratic transition, reported The National.
The resolution was approved with a large majority of 507 votes in favor, 31 against and 35 abstentions.reflecting the majority support of MEPs to maintain international pressure on the Venezuelan government.
According to the Venezuelan newspaper, the approved text establishes that the sanctions must be maintained until Venezuela adopts “significant measures” such as the unconditional release of all political prisoners, the annulment of politically motivated charges against the opposition and the definition of a credible roadmap for free and fair elections.
Furthermore, the MEPs stressed the need to guarantee civil and political rights to those detained, as well as the end of the persecution against opposition sectors.
The European Parliament also questioned the application of the amnesty law in Venezuela, considering that it has not managed to free all political prisoners or guarantee adequate conditions.
According to the document, there would still be at least 470 people detained for political reasons, many of them in conditions considered inhumane, which shows limitations in the process.
Likewise, he warned that said regulations should not be used to protect those responsible for human rights violations, who must be held accountable before justice.
The European Parliament reiterated that individual sanctions against Venezuelan officials – in force since 2017 – must be maintained as long as there is no verifiable progress towards a democratic transition led by Venezuelans themselves.
