EU urges Venezuela to 'de-escalate' deadly protest tensions

The European Union on Thursday called for calm in Venezuela after "highly regrettable" deaths during protests against the government of the oil-rich country. The 28-nation bloc also called for an investigation to identify those responsible for the violence, as opponents vowed to hold fresh rallies to oust President Nicolas Maduro. "We call on all Venezuelans to come together to de-escalate the situation and find democratic solutions in the framework of the constitution," EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Nabila Massrali told AFP. More…