The election of the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly on Sunday 5 January was marked by attempts by the Chavist government to prevent Juan Guaidó, the outgoing president, from taking over the reins of the institution, the only one controlled by the opposition to Nicolás Maduro.
In particular, the anti-Chavist MPs and Juan Guaidó himself, as well as journalists, were refused entry to Parliament.
A formal vote, which allowed Mr Guaidó’s re-election, was finally held at the headquarters of the opposition daily El Nacional. A few hours earlier, MP Luis Parra had taken advantage of the absence of a majority of opposition members in the Chamber to proclaim himself President of the Assembly.
The European External Action Service (EEAS) deplored “serious irregularities and acts against the democratic and constitutional functioning of the National Assembly”.
The EEAS spokesperson said in a statement that such irregularities cannot guarantee a valid electoral process and only deepen the Venezuelan crisis. “As a consequence, the EU continues to recognise Juan Guaidó as the legitimate President of the National Assembly until the conditions for a proper voting session can be assured”, he said.
The EEAS also considers “respecting democratic institutions and principles and upholding the rule of law” essential for a “peaceful and sustainable” solution to the crisis in Venezuela.
The Union stands ready to support a process based on credible and transparent elections, in order to achieve a peaceful and democratic resolution of the crisis. “The EU reaffirms its commitment to actively contribute to this objective”, reports the EEAS. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki, intern)