Visiting Brussels as part of a European tour, the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, called on the European Union authorities on Wednesday 22 January not to remain silent in the face of the violations of human rights and the rule of law perpetrated by the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
It is necessary to “speak up and speak out”, because “your voice is highly valued”, and “not allow evil to become commonplace”, said Mr Guaidó, at a press conference organised by the Renew Europe, EPP and ECR groups in the European Parliament. He cited numerous abuses committed against opposition MPs and members of his team.
Denouncing every violation of human rights, civil rights and the rule of law in Venezuela helps to “maintain the motivation” of Venezuelans on the ground to recover their “dignity” by putting an end to “the dictatorship”, he said.
The man whom the European Parliament considers to be the legitimate President of the Caribbean country (see EUROPE 12405/6) has rejected Mr Maduro’s recent announcement concerning the holding of elections, which he described as a diversion to the outside world. According to him, elections can only take place under certain conditions ensuring that they are “free, competitive, observable and transparent”.
Mr Guaidó recalled that 5 million Venezuelans had already fled their country in the face of the political and humanitarian crisis “the most serious after Syria”, even though Venezuela, the country with the world’s largest oil reserves, is not at war.
On behalf of the EPP group, Spain’s Esteban González Pons called for the EU to recognise the political figures appointed by Mr Guaidó in a statement.
Following a bilateral meeting, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, stressed that the Venezuelan Assembly, the only political institution in the hands of the opposition to the Maduro regime, was “the only legitimately and democratically elected entity”. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)