EU-backed group pushes for elections in Venezuela as tensions escalate

The EU-backed International Contact Group on Venezuela on Tuesday said it was essential to avoid escalating tensions in Venezuela, and that a resolution to the political and economic crisis in the country should be pursued via elections.

The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini delivered the exhortation at a news conference after a meeting of the contact group in the Costa Rican capital San Jose.