Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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47. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on recent events in Venezuela including the banning of opposition parties from the 2018 election there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53973/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The situation in Venezuela continues to be a matter of serious concern to the Government.

Municipal elections took place in Venezuela on 10 December 2017. Preliminary results released by the country’s national electoral institute suggested that the ruling party of President Maduro, the Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV), won a significant majority of available seats. The electoral process was partly boycotted by the opposition and the rate of participation by the electorate was low. This followed on from gubernatorial elections in October, the results of which were not recognised by a large part of the opposition amidst numerous reported incidences of irregularity.

In parallel, attempts to foster meaningful dialogue between the government and the opposition, aimed at bringing about political stability and addressing the severe challenges facing the country, are continuing. The talks are being hosted by the Dominican Republic and accompanied by six countries of the region acting as guarantors of the process. We consider this a step in the right direction and are fully supportive of regional efforts to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

Presidential elections are due to take place in December 2018. Ireland and its EU partners have called for concrete action to ensure the full respect and independence of Venezuela’s democratic institutions, notably through the holding of free and fair elections supervised by a balanced Electoral Council and involving independent international observation.

On 13 November last, at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, which I attended, it was agreed unanimously to adopt restrictive measures, underscoring our concerns at the situation in the country. These measures consist of an embargo on arms and on related material that might be used for internal repression, as well as a legal framework for a travel ban and assets freeze. The measures are designed to be scaled up or down on a gradual basis to respond to developments in Venezuela, of which respect for the electoral timetable and process will represent an important barometer. We will continue to monitor the situation closely in concert with our European partners.