Europe

EU Weighs Lifting Sanctions on Venezuela's Rodríguez

Is Venezuela's amnesty law genuine progress or does lifting sanctions reward a repressive regime?

Published FEB 24

EU Weighs Lifting Sanctions on Venezuela's Rodríguez

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Above: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas speaks to press ahead in Brussels on Feb. 23. Image credit: Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Venezuela's unanimous approval of an amnesty law for political prisoners marks genuine progress toward democratic transition. It's great that Spain is pushing the EU to consider lifting sanctions on Delcy Rodríguez in a bid to indicate that Caracas is heading in the right direction, especially as diplomatic engagement works better than isolation. As steps toward dialogue are occurring, Europe must reciprocate to encourage further reform.

El País

Government-critical narrative

The so-called amnesty is actually a sham designed to whitewash ongoing repression while hundreds remain imprisoned and torture centers stay open. Spain's willingness to lift sanctions on Delcy Rodríguez — who authorized mass detentions of opposition activists — betrays democratic values and rewards an illegitimate regime born from electoral fraud.

ABC.es