BARI.- At the recent annual summit held in Bari by the G7, made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, they expressed deep concern about the decision of the Nicolás Maduro regime to withdraw the invitation to European Union (EU) to participate as observers in the next presidential elections in Venezuelascheduled for July 28.
This measure, announced by the Venezuelan National Electoral Council, which is aligned with the Maduro regime, came in response to individual sanctions imposed by the EU on Venezuelan officials, which were perceived as external interference.
In the draft of its final declaration, the G7 emphasized the importance of ensuring elections that are truly competitive and inclusive, underlining the need to fully respect the rights of the political opposition within the Venezuelan electoral process.
Furthermore, the G7 also expressed concern about the continued harassment of members of the political opposition in Venezuela and strongly called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in the country.
“We are deeply concerned… regarding the rights of the opposition within the electoral process,” the G7 said.
The Venezuelan presidential elections are emerging as a significant point of tension in the international arena, where the international community and various organizations have expressed their concern about the justice and transparency of the electoral process.
Amid these concerns, the G7 reaffirmed its commitment to supporting universal democratic principles and urged all parties involved in Venezuela to ensure a fair and secure electoral environment for all political actors, in line with accepted international standards.
Source: With information from AFP
