Europe, pessimistic with Venezuela, puts 90 days to find a solution with the countries of the region – 01/02/2019

The European Union (EU) is trying to take concrete action with regard to Venezuela. Last Saturday, he launched an ultimatum thanks to what this Monday, the 28th would recognize Juan Guaidó as "legitimate acting president" if Nicolás Maduro does not announce the call for presidential elections in the short term. On Thursday, it was the turn of the European Parliament, which, by a large majority, backed by center-right and center-left votes, He recognized Guaidó.

Look also

Beyond rhetoric, the EU try to take concrete action push towards his favorite scenario: without renouncing the recognition of Guaidó as acting head of state, Europe wants presidential elections in the short termbut that's 90 days to find solutions jointly with several countries in Latin America. European Chancellor Federica Mogherini showed on Friday her pessimism about the Venezuelan crisis: "I do not have positive expectations".

Clarin Bulletins

What happened today? We tell you the most important news of the day and what will happen tomorrow when you get up

Monday to Friday afternoon.

The European Foreign Ministers, meeting in Bucharest on Thursday and Friday, approved the initiative promoted for the first time last October by the Spanish diplomacy. A "contact group" has been created in which the European and Latin American governments will meet and will work for Venezuela to go to the polls "with all the guarantees of a free and fair electoral process that can be supervised. by independent international observers ". Community sources explained that these elections should be under the control of the United Nations.

Turkey warns of civil war

Mogherini, who will coordinate the group, has been talking about these days with almost all the capitals of Latin America, as well as with the Vatican and the US and Canadian governments. Spanish diplomatic sources confirmed this Friday Clarin that there is still no agreement on 28 to recognize Guaidó and that on Monday there could be several countries of the bloc that did not make the recognition, with Italy in front. The Turkish government has accused Europe and warned that the politics of the Western powers vis-à-vis Venezuela can push towards a civil war.

"We say it from the beginning: an intervention from the outside is not healthy, it is not correct, it can not solve anything, it can only deepen the crisis, it could even, God forbid, drag the country into a civil war, "he warned. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu is quoted by the EFE news agency.

Look also

The United States opposes the creation of this group. Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said Thursday night in Bucharest that "although some of the most powerful actors in this problem tell me that this is no longer the moment of mediation, we believe that this can be useful".

The group, as Mogherini explained, aims to promote understanding and a common approach of all international actors involved in the Venezuelan crisis in order to find a peaceful and democratic way out. Mogherini denied that his goal was to mediate between Maduro and Guaidó.

The sources consulted explained that the group would have this mandate limited to 90 days and that at the end of this period it will dissolve if you have not realized "enough progress". Its first meeting, at the ministerial level, will be held next week in a Latin American capital, to be determined.

Despite the fact that the 28 EU countries have agreed to the creation of the group, only European countries such as Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Sweden will participate. On Friday morning, in Latin America, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Uruguay confirmed their participation.

While Costa Rica and Ecuador have already recognized Guaidó, Bolivia and Uruguay have not yet done so. According to Mogherini, these different points of view mean that this group could have contacts both with Guaidó and with the environment of the Maduro regime.

European diplomacy hopes to join the group in the coming days more countries from Latin America and to Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina, among others in the region. The European goal is also to convince Cuba and Mexico, although President López Obrador has already informed the Spanish of his refusal.

Europe is trying with this initiative stand out from the most uncompromising position of the United States but recognizing Guaidó and without increasing the pressure on the Venezuelan regime, that he has been subject for months to sanctions that could go further if Nicolás Maduro refused to go to the elections.

European foreign ministers also discussed Friday the possibility of imposing further sanctions on Nicolás Maduro's relatives and baduming responsibilities in the hierarchy of the Venezuelan regime. These new sanctions, which already affect 18 people who have seen their badets and financial resources frozen in Europe, could be approved in the short term.

Brussels, special