On Tuesday 20 January, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, said she was “committed to working with all Venezuelans – from the authorities currently in power, led by the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, to civil society and democratic forces” to promote a peaceful and democratic transition in Venezuela (see EUROPE 13779/4).
According to Ms Kallas, the kidnapping of former president Nicolás Maduro by the United States, which has undermined the principles of international law, represents “a delicate turning point” for the Caribbean country. The EU will support any process that allows Venezuelans to decide their own future, she told a plenary debate in the European Parliament.
On behalf of the EPP Group, Spain’s Gabriel Mato said he hoped for the opening of “a new chapter” that would enable the Venezuelan people to initiate and steer a political transition towards democracy.
“ A year ago, some people here were saying that Maduro was stealing the elections. Today, we should be saying that Trump is stealing the oil and also the will of the Venezuelan people”, said Leire Pajín (S&D, Spanish), refusing to allow the law of the strongest to impose itself in international relations in Venezuela, Ukraine and Gaza. She also advocated using “the window of opportunity” to set up a political transition process in the country.
Her compatriot Ana Miranda Paz said that the Greens/EFA group strongly condemned the “imperialist interventionism” of the Trump administration. Italy’s Danilo Della Valle (The Left) denounced the double standards of the European right: “No condemnation, no sanction (...) if the violation of international law is perpetrated by Washington’s boss”, he accused.
On the far right of the Chamber, the MEPs welcomed Maduro’s downfall, and were less concerned about the method used.
According to Hermann Tertsch (PfE, Spanish), “Trump has understood that the alliance between socialism, Islamism and drug trafficking, which was formed precisely in Venezuela, threatens the United States”. He praised the “heroic” resistance of María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize winner and winner of the 2024 Sakharov Prize (see EUROPE 13511/7). “Perhaps Europe (...) should realise that with this act, which can be contested, an illegitimate commander has been deposed”, said Stefano Cavedagna (ECR, Italian).
For Alexander Sell (ESN, German), “Europe discusses, America acts” through the new ‘Donroe Doctrine’. “If we want to defend our place in the world, we must do it like Donald Trump does”, he concluded. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)