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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2024/2549(RSP))

On further repression against the democratic forces in Venezuela: attack on presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado

B-9-2024-0107

on behalf of the Renew Group · Rapporteur: Jordi Cañas, Dita Charanzová, José Ramón Bauzá Díaz, Malik Azmani, Katalin Cseh, Olivier Chastel, Petras Auštrevičius, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Nicola Danti, Karin Karlsbro, Michael Kauch, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Karen Melchior, Javier Nart, Urmas Paet, Dragoş Pîslaru, Frédérique Ries, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Dragoş Tudorache

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 26 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's resolution condemns the Venezuelan Supreme Court's decision to disqualify presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado and the arrests of opposition members, and calls for the bans to be revoked. It urges the Venezuelan regime to stop persecuting opponents, free political prisoners and implement the Barbados Agreement, and says the EU should not send an election observation mission until conditions are met. It asks the Council to keep and expand EU sanctions, calls for EU support for International Criminal Court investigations, and for the EU to work with the international community on a return to democracy.

Key points

  1. Strongly condemns the Venezuelan Supreme Court's decision to disqualify Maria Corina Machado, winner of the opposition primary, and ban her from the presidential elections.
  2. Strongly condemns attacks, alleged forced disappearances, arrests and arrest warrants against her team, other opposition and civil society representatives, human rights defenders and journalists.
  3. Reiterates that actions by Nicolás Maduro and his representatives, including persecution of the opposition and barring candidates, are inconsistent with the Barbados Agreement.
  4. Urges the Venezuelan regime to revoke the bans on holding office imposed on Maria Corina Machado and other opposition politicians and to start implementing the Barbados Agreement.
  5. Urges the Venezuelan regime to stop persecuting and repressing political opponents, revoke arrest warrants for them and free political prisoners.
  6. Notes the importance of allowing all Venezuelans, in Venezuela and abroad, to vote by updating the permanent electoral registry and the electoral registry abroad.
  7. Insists the EU must not consider sending an electoral observation mission until the Barbados Agreement and electoral roadmap are respected, disqualified politicians reinstated, Maria Corina Machado allowed to participate, and the 2021 recommendations implemented.
  8. Remains strongly committed to supporting dialogue between the parties and the Venezuelan people's aspirations for a democratic future.
  9. Calls on the Council to maintain EU sanctions on the Maduro regime and expand them to include the Supreme Court judges who signed the ban on Maria Corina Machado and security force members involved in abuses.
  10. Calls for the EU to work with the international community and peaceful democratic stakeholders in Venezuela to encourage a return to the Barbados Agreement principles.
  11. Calls on the European External Action Service and the EU Delegation in Venezuela to keep monitoring the situation and play a more assertive and visible role.
  12. Supports the International Criminal Court's investigations into the Venezuelan regime's crimes and calls for the EU to support investigations into alleged crimes against humanity and hold those responsible to account.

Who is affected

  • Maria Corina Machado, opposition presidential candidate, whom the resolution says should be allowed to participate freely in the 2024 election.
  • Venezuelan opposition politicians, civil society, human rights defenders and journalists facing arrests, warrants or bans.
  • The Venezuelan regime and its Supreme Court and security forces, which the resolution urges to revoke bans and which it wants sanctioned.
  • The Council, which is asked to maintain and expand EU sanctions on the Maduro regime.
  • The European External Action Service and the EU Delegation in Venezuela, asked to keep monitoring and play a more assertive role.

Figures and deadlines

  • 92.35 % of the votes won by Maria Corina Machado in the October 2023 opposition primary.
  • 26 January 2024, date the Supreme Court upheld the ban preventing Maria Corina Machado from holding office.
  • 6 December 2023, date Roberto Abdul was arrested for alleged treason.
  • 23 January 2024, date three regional coordinators of Vente Venezuela were detained and reported missing.
  • 14 arrest warrants issued on January 22 against civilians and former military personnel in exile.
  • 31 January, date Maduro backed a call to develop an electoral schedule proposal starting from 5 February.
  • More than 7.7 million people forced to leave Venezuela, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.