Members of the EU Electoral Observation Mission complete their work and will leave Caracas next Sunday

Posted: Dec 3, 2021 20:40 GMT

The team of European experts closed its cycle of monitoring the electoral process last Wednesday.

The long-term observers of the European Union Electoral Observation Mission (EU-EOM), who participated in the regional elections held in Venezuela on November 21, will return to Europe next Sunday, December 5, after completing their work. .

“The proclamation of the candidates took place and now the members of the EU-EOM will effectively leave Caracas on December 5“says a message from the EU-EOM press team picked up by the . agency.

The EOM team, which was installed in Venezuela since mid-October after attending an invitation made by the National Electoral Council (CNE) – the governing body of the Venezuelan elections – closed its activities on December 1, when long-time observers The deadline presented their latest analyzes on the electoral process.

The long-term observers presented their latest observations on the electoral process in sessions with the group of analysts of the EU EOM Venezuela 2021 pic.twitter.com/DEfWadBaJz

– EU EOM Venezuela 2021 (@MOEUEVenezuela) December 1, 2021

On November 23, the head of the EOM in Venezuela, Isabel Santos, presented a preliminary report on the event and said that during her observation they were able to verify that the voting took place “in better conditions compared to previous electoral processes” and warned also on some irregularities.

Santos asserted that “through internal dialogue,” the five rectors that make up the CNE board of directors “achieved improvements in technical components“of the vote and considered that his disposition had been fundamental for the reconstruction of the confidence in the political life of the country.

The diplomat also highlighted that the new directive of the electoral body is seen as “the most balanced electoral administration that Venezuela has had in the last 20 years“and clarified that the nature of the EOM was independent, neutral and impartial, and that it could not be” an instrument of interference. “

Maduro’s complaint

However, last weekend the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, denounced that EOM observers came to the South American country as “spies” and “enemies”, who were intended to tarnish the electoral process, but found no elements to question the election.

“They tried to tarnish the electoral process impeccable of Venezuela and they could not, a delegation of spies, “said the president.

Maduro criticized that the EOM team was not made up of “international observers” but rather a group of people who “They walked through the country freely deployed, spying on social, economic and political life“Actions that he described as something that” had never been seen in 22 years “with other foreign delegations.

According to the agreement established between the CNE and the EU, the members of the EOM must return to Caracas during the first quarter of 2022, to present a final report on its observation in the elections, a document that will also include recommendations for the holding of future elections.