Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro expressed these views on Tuesday, though it wasn't clear why he made these accusations.
During a speech, Maduro took a strong stance against what he sees as Europe's outdated and condescending attitude towards South America. "Europe’s colonialist vision of Latin America is alive," he stated at an event, as reported by the Venezuelan news source El Universal.
Maduro did not hold back in his critique of Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Josep Borrell, for example, is a racist, he is a colonialist, he is a warmonger. He is a guy who supposedly comes from the left, all these people have a colonialist, contemptuous vision of ours, they look down at us,” Maduro added, without specifying what precisely he was accusing Borrell of.
The European Union's foreign policy department had not commented on Maduro's comments when asked by POLITICO.
Maduro's comments were part of a speech during a commemoration event for the 30th anniversary of former President Hugo Chávez's release from prison.
This sharp criticism comes amidst tensions, especially after the EU voiced its concerns in January regarding the banning of opposition politicians María Corina Machado and Henrique Capriles from the upcoming presidential election in Venezuela.
In February, the European Parliament advocated for the freedom of jailed opposition members and stronger sanctions on Venezuela.
Maduro, who announced on Monday his intention to run for a third term, has led Venezuela through significant challenges, including an economic crisis marked by extreme inflation, leading to shortages of basic necessities. His tenure has also been marked by disputes with the United States over sanctions and military actions near the Guyana border.
