European Parliament condemns Maduro's usurpation of power in Venezuela

The European Parliament condemned Thursday in a non-binding resolution the usurpation of the presidency in Venezuela by Nicolas Maduro. They argued that the situation constitutes an illegal attempt to remain in power by force.

According to the MEPs, the EU and its member countries have a moral duty to align themselves with the opposition to Maduro.

The document urges "the EU, its member states, and all democratic regional and international actors to unconditionally align, as a moral duty, with the democratic forces of Venezuela."

The text was approved by 374 votes in favor, with 53 against and 163 abstentions.

In the Resolution, MEPs indicated that the EU legislature recognized Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the legitimate winner of the presidential elections held in Venezuela on July 28, 2024.

"It lacks any democratic and political legitimacy and Parliament does not recognise the presidency by Nicolás Maduro," the document reaffirmed.

After the elections, Gonzalez Urrutia left for exile in Spain. On January 10, in an illegitimate act, Maduro was formally sworn in as president of Venezuela.

In Thursday's resolution, MEPs demanded that the Venezuelan government "revoke the unjustified detention order issued against President-elect González Urrutia."

"In the disjunction between democracy and dictatorship, there is no room for ambiguity or middle ground," the European legislators pointed out in their Resolution.

On October 10, in a statement on behalf of the 27 EU countries, the head of the bloc's diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, affirmed that Maduro lacks the legitimacy of a democratically elected president.