Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, stated on Thursday that the European Union should assess what tools it has to respond to the crisis in Venezuela, given the evident absence of the electoral records. He also ruled out sanctions at this stage and urged continued commitment to dialogue.
“We continue to support dialogue and negotiation among Venezuelans to ensure the democratic will is respected,” Albares said upon arriving at a informal EU foreign ministers meeting. He added that it is necessary to consider “which tools we have to advance that will.”
At the gathering, Edmundo González Urrutia, the presidential candidate for Venezuela’s leading opposition coalition, was set to address the ministers of Foreign Affairs from the European Union via videoconference as they debated the country’s crisis among other topics.
Albares explained that, at Spain’s initiative, the EU would be invited through a joint declaration “not to recognize any electoral outcome or any claimed victory” if the results are not exhibited and verifiable from all polling stations. He also noted that Spain plans to acknowledge that a period has passed beyond what is prudent, facing the reality that the opposition may not be able to access or analyze those records.
He recalled reports from observers such as the Carter Center and the UN Panel of Experts that raise serious questions about the recount process and the surrounding circumstances, suggesting that the democratic guarantees required may not have been met.
Albares also mentioned ongoing outreach with Brazil, a country with which there is strong alignment to unite Europe and Latin America in pursuit of dialogue and negotiation.
“A Common Position”
What Spain seeks, Albares explained, is a “common position” within the EU and among Latin American nations that share the goal of democratic will prevailing. The objective of today’s discussion is to analyze what can be done and what should be done to foster a Venezuelan-led dialogue and a negotiated, peaceful, genuinely Venezuelan solution.
Asked about the possibility of sanctions, the minister underscored that patience should not be lost and highlighted that the opposition in Venezuela remains committed to dialogue and negotiation as well.
Regarding the prospect of new elections in Venezuela, he noted that, as an intellectual hypothesis, it could be considered if agreed upon by both the government and the opposition. Yet he stressed that both sides have already dismissed that idea, insisting that the paramount objective is to secure dialogue and negotiations that bring government and opposition to the table.
Albares acknowledged that not all EU member countries fully grasp Venezuela’s situation and the historical, cultural ties that bind many nations to the country, a nuance that gives Spain a clearer understanding of the circumstances on the ground.
As for the potential recognition of Armando González as a counterpart, as has occurred previously with Juan Guaidó, he cautioned that the position would depend on how allies respond. He emphasized that, at present, such a move is not the EU’s common stance.