Borrell supports Colombia’s efforts for a “dialogue and democratic way out” of the crisis in Venezuela

Brussels, 13 August 2013. (European News Agency) –

The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on Tuesday told Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Murillo of his support for Colombia’s efforts to achieve a “dialogue and democratic exit” from the crisis in Venezuela, after the presidential elections on July 28, insisting that the solution is to publish and verify electoral laws.

“We agree on the importance of supporting efforts in Venezuela to find a dialogue-based and democratic way out of the crisis, through the publication and verification of detailed electoral results and respect for human rights,” the head of European diplomacy stressed in a message on social networks.

Borrell and Murillo’s call comes amid EU contacts with actors playing a role in the Venezuelan crisis, with the international community calling on the National Electoral Council (CNE) to publish and verify election records, after it declared Nicolás Maduro the winner without providing evidence.

In this context, the High Representative spoke today, Monday, with the presidential candidate of the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo González, to whom he conveyed the position of the European bloc, which considers the publication and verification of electoral laws necessary.

He also stressed that Caracas must end the repression and maintain dialogue with guarantees that “reflect the will of the people.” The demonstrations that have taken place in Venezuela in recent weeks have led to the deaths of more than twenty people, according to non-governmental organizations, and the arrest of 2,000 people, according to the authorities.

All this after the National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the elections with nearly 52 percent of the vote, while the opposition presented some of the papers claiming Edmundo González as the winner. The European Union maintained a middle ground, noting that the opposition leader appeared to have won by a “large majority” based on copies of the minutes published by the opposition.