The EU and Celac called for free elections without mentioning Nicaragua



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The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday called for "free and fair elections", but without explicitly mentioning countries such as Nicaragua and Venezuela.

"We reaffirm our commitment to continue working together to promote democracy, through free and fair elections, as well as respect for the rule of law and the protection of all human rights. man and fundamental freedoms ". Final Declaration of the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers and Celac

At the meeting held in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, the possibility of including in the declaration allusions the Venezuelan crisis and that of Nicaragua, which has already claimed at least 351 deaths, according to various diplomatic sources, but which has finally been abandoned.

Vice President and Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbel l, said Monday in an interview with Efe that the ministerial statement should include an explicit paragraph, leaving no doubt that both sides "n? not accept as valid that a political crisis has clashes and a disproportionate violence of authorities and paramilitary groups "in Nicaragua.

For his part, the Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell, stressed that on Monday, the first day of the meetings, the Lima Group countries have inscribed on the agenda the situations in Venezuela and Nicaragua He added that "everyone worried yesterday" about the Nicaraguan crisis. "In 24 hours or 48 hours, things got worse, we thought that he had stabilized and not only he has not stabilized, but he has" His Belgian counterpart, Didier Reynders, told reporters at the end of the meeting that this meeting was "an opportunity to express our great concern about the situation in Venezuela," said Mr. Borrell on the first day of the meeting. meeting. "" Many countries in Latin America and Europe have highlighted it, as has the evolution in Nicaragua, "he said.

For Reynders, this meeting served to "revive our relations, but also to express the difficulties we face."

"It was very useful that there be this frank and open confrontation between all partners, "he said at a meeting at which Nicaragua's minister and private secretary for national policies, Paul Oquist, was also present. On Monday, thirteen countries in Latin America (Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) jointly expressed their "concern" about the situation in Nicaragua and denounced the "violation of human rights" that takes place in this country.

The main themes of the ministerial meeting between the 28 and Celac supported multilateralism, free trade against protectionism, the fight against climate change, the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and women's rights.

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