"They expel us from Venezuela" denounce MEPs

"Warning: our pbadports have been confiscated and we are expelled from Venezuela, they treat us badly and the only explanation they give is that (President Nicolás) Maduro does not want us here," reported l & # 39; Spanish MEP Esteban González Pons on his Twitter account.

González Pons explained that he wanted to enter Venezuela with his colleagues Esther de Lange (Dutch), Paulo Rangel (Portuguese) and Gabriel Mato, José Ignacio Salafranca and Juan Salafranca, the last three, also Spanish.

"We were the first international delegation invited by President Juan Guaidó, they push us today but we will soon return to a free Venezuela," said González Pons.

The group spokesman had already warned that during the stopover in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, he had been informed that it would be difficult for him to arrive in Caracas.

"We have just landed in Venezuela," he wrote before knowing that they could not enter, adding: "At the stopover in Santo Domingo, the ambbadadors of the EU (European Union) and Spain have warned us that expelled or detained. "

"We are parliamentarians and we have an official invitation from the Assembly, if they stop us or expel us, it will be the definitive demonstration that all the windows have been closed here and that the EU should immediately withdraw from the group of contact, "said González Pons.

EU Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini announced on the 1st of this month the creation of a contact group that would look into 90 days to "build trust and create conditions" for a Venezuela's way out of the crisis through free elections.

This group – composed of Germany, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Uruguay – met for the first time on the 7th of this month in Montevideo and issued a statement that the following day was rejected by Maduro.