Buenos Aires [Argentina], July 5: The European Union has condemned the exclusion of Venezuelan opposition politician María Corina Machado from next year's presidential election.
"The EU expresses its deep concern with the decisions intended to prevent members of the opposition from exercising their core political rights," the EU's diplomatic service said in a statement on Monday.
"These decisions undermine democracy and the rule of law and will only deepen the longstanding political and social crisis in Venezuela."
A Venezuelan judicial authority recently banned Machado from holding public office for 15 years, due to alleged irregularities during her time as a member of parliament. Machado belongs to the radical wing of the opposition and had previously been barred from elections.
Venezuela's authoritarian President NicolasMaduro has been in power for 10 years. International organizations and aid groups accuse him of serious human rights violations.
After numerous states recognized parliamentary leader Juan Guaido as interim president in 2019, Maduro came under massive international pressure to quit. Today, his power in the South American country is once again considered secure.
Source: Qatar Tribune