MEPs officially recognised Juan Guaidó, President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, as "legitimate interim president" of Venezuela as he had proclaimed himself (see EUROPE 12183), in a resolution they adopted on Thursday 31 January by a large majority (439 votes in favour, 104 against, 88 abstentions).
Parliament calls on the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Member States to do the same "until new, free, transparent and credible presidential elections are held".
Meeting in Bucharest since Thursday, European foreign ministers discussed the Venezuelan political crisis (see other news). Last week, Germany, Spain, France and the United Kingdom gave President Nicolás Maduro, whose second term is considered illegitimate by Europeans, eight days to announce new elections.
Maduro having failed to comply with this request, "we are increasing the pressure with the recognition of Mr Guaidó as a legitimate interlocutor", said Ramón Jáuregui (S&D, Spain), convinced of the EU's "enormous capacity for influence". "From Europe, we can change the Venezuelan regime [...] Nicolás Maduro is a tyrant, so we cannot give him a deadline to call elections", said Esteban González Pons (EPP, Spain).
Mr Guaidó relies on article 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution, according to which power rests with the President of the National Assembly if no President has been elected and until free elections are held. But, for the GUE/NGL Group, Mr Guaidó's self-proclamation is tantamount to an attempted coup d'état.
The European Parliament resolution, tabled on behalf of the EPP, S&D, ECR and ALDE groups, calls on the Venezuelan authorities to put an end to all human rights violations, rejects any attempt to resolve the crisis through the use of violence, and supports the opening of an independent investigation into the murders committed.
The text supports the initiative to set up "a contact group [...] likely to act as a mediator with a view to concluding an agreement on the organisation of presidential elections".
MEPs adopted the EPP Group's oral amendment calling for the release of imprisoned journalists. But they rejected the amendment by the ENL group calling for "the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to allow the exodus of Venezuelans with dual nationality or of European origin". (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)