The European Union has reiterated its request to the Venezuelan authorities to postpone the legislative elections scheduled for December 6 for six months and is awaiting their response, the European diplomatic service said in a statement on Wednesday.
A mission dispatched to Caracas by the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell met for five days with all the Venezuelan parties to get this message across.
Read also: Venezuela: "impossible" to delay the elections, according to Maduro
The European envoys met with representatives of the regime, leaders of all opposition parties, including Juan Guaido and ex-presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, Church leaders, the representative of the Pope and the main business leaders.
On their return, they said they were pessimistic about the response of Nicolas Maduro's regime, said a European official.
“We expect a response within two weeks.
Then we will consider it to be negative ”.
"Without a postponement and an improvement in democratic and electoral conditions, the EU cannot consider sending an election observation mission",
reiterated the services of Josep Borrell.
“The political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela will not be resolved with a single event. It is time for bold decisions to be taken by Venezuelans to support a peaceful and democratic transition, ”
the statement insisted.
"It is necessary to conduct negotiations between all stakeholders in Venezuela in order to find a democratic, peaceful and lasting solution to the needs and demands of the Venezuelan people."
The EU does not recognize any legitimacy for President Nicolas Maduro and supports the National Assembly, the only democratically elected body in Venezuela, and Juan Guaido, its president.
The legislative elections of December 6 must renew the Parliament, currently held by the opposition.
The objective is to take over the presidency of the Assembly from Juan Guaido, underlined the European official.
But the opposition was divided.
Juan Guaido has taken the head of around thirty parties calling for a boycott of the election.
But Enrique Capriles, another opposition figure, calls on the population to participate massively in the legislative elections.
A third part of the opposition, close to the regime, also calls for participation with the ambition of winning many seats of deputies.
"The European Union does not intend to negotiate or undertake mediation in Venezuela",
insists the European representative.
"It simply specifies the conditions of its participation for a legislative observation mission".
But if his request for a postponement of the ballot and the implementation of measures to allow free and fair elections are not followed,
"the EU will recognize neither the National Assembly nor the Supreme Court"
, recalled the European official. .