Venezuela accuses EU of ‘prejudice’ over elections
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela Wednesday
accused the European Union of “prejudice” in its reaction to the presidential elections won by Nicolas Maduro.
“They preferred to descend into prejudices and issue unfounded statements,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said the EU had declined an invitation to send observers to the vote.
The EU said Tuesday
it will consider imposing new sanctions on Caracas after Maduro’s re-election was marred by “irregularities” and failed to meet international standards.
The elections took place “without complying with the minimum international standards for a credible process, not respecting political pluralism, democracy, transparency and rule of law,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.
Maduro won 68 per cent of the vote in election that was boycotted by the opposition and condemned as illegitimate by much of the international community.
Turnout, at 46 per cent, was also the lowest since the country returned to democracy in 1958, as millions of Venezuelans, fed up with the economic crisis and distrustful of the government, stayed away.
