El País: Portugal is the only EU country against sanctions to Venezuela.

[Mike88]

Spanish El Pais is reporting this. According to the newspaper, EU countries are open to sanctions to Venezuela if Maduro goes ahead with its constitutional assembly. 27 of the 28 member states approve this measure, except Portugal, who according to sources, is against any sanctions.

No Portuguese newspaper is reporting this right now, but i wouldn't be surprised if this dominated headlines tomorrow. Nonetheless, really bad decision by the Portuguese government.

[Lord Halifax]

Spanish El Pais is reporting this. According to the newspaper, EU countries are open to sanctions to Venezuela if Maduro goes ahead with its constitutional assembly. 27 of the 28 member states approve this measure, except Portugal, who according to sources, is against any sanctions.

No Portuguese newspaper is reporting this right now, but i wouldn't be surprised if this dominated headlines tomorrow. Nonetheless, really bad decision by the Portuguese government.

Would that be because of pressure from BE and CDU?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Yay! It's not my country being the only one obnoxious contrarian this time

[DavidB.]

Far-left comrades in good times, far-left comrades in bad times. Who cares if people are starving, still better to have a deformed workers' state than a capitalist American puppet government, right?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Far-left comrades in good times, far-left comrades in bad times. Who cares if people are starving, still better to have a deformed workers' state than a capitalist American puppet government, right?

While I totally disagree with Portugal's decision on this, I'm not sure whether sanctions would help the starving ones.

[Mike88]

The Government is denying the El País story, saying nothing was discussed between the member states. The foreign minister also said that Portugal is working on a consensus to reach a common EU position about Venezuela. But they didn't said if they support sanctions or not.

Would that be because of pressure from BE and CDU?

Perhaps. Although a tough position by the PM about Venezuela would be well received by the electorate and BE/CDU would have to swallow another frog.

But, Portugal's government positions on Venezuela have been very soft. The Portuguese community in Venezuela is around 550,000 people and every day we hear reports of cries for help from them. But most of these calls are received not by the national government, but the regional government of Madeira, where the vast majority of Portuguese-Venezuelans come from. The Madeira government has established many offices to help people fleeing from Venezuela and is even helping some people escape from Venezuela.

Far-left comrades in good times, far-left comrades in bad times. Who cares if people are starving, still better to have a deformed workers' state than a capitalist American puppet government, right?

Believe it or not, but what you wrote was basically word by word what the PCP leadership said a few days ago about the situation on Venezuela. In a statement to the press the party said:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Kingpoleon]

MikeD, are sanctions voted on by the Assembly of the Republic? If so, one would think that PPC and Costá, between them, have quite enough votes to pass sanctions.

[Mike88]

MikeD, are sanctions voted on by the Assembly of the Republic? If so, one would think that PPC and Costá, between them, have quite enough votes to pass sanctions.

Normally yes, sanctions are voted in Parliament, but if any vote on sanctions happens it will only be in early October as Parliament is closed due to the summer recess and then you have the local elections campaign. The government position about Venezuela is quite vague, they don't support them but are very careful in condemning the regime. PSD and PPC are much more blunt in accusing Venezuela. I would dare to say that if PPC was in power right now, Portugal would have the same position Spain has.

If a vote happens, PSD, CDS and PS have more than the necessary votes to approve sanctions, 193 votes out of 230. BE and CDU would, of course, vote against them, but i don't know if PS would take an official position. This is just, theoretical, but PSD/CDS would vote in favour of sanctions, BE/CDU against them and PS could give freedom of vote to their MP's and, easily, sanctions would be approved.

[Mike88]

It seems that the foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva, lied. The European Commission confirmed that Venezuela sanctions were discussed last monday.