Spain, France, Sweden and Great Britain today recognized the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Juan Guaido, as the interim president and called for early presidential elections.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters in Madrid that Spain is "working to return full democracy to Venezuela," which includes "human rights, elections and the absence of political prisoners."
The head of French diplomacy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, in a statement to Radio France Inter (France Inter Radio), called on Guaido to call early presidential elections that "will allow the crisis in Venezuela to end peacefully."
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström told SVT that the elections in which Maduro came to power "were not free or fair."
Great Britain has recognized Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela, announced the head of British diplomacy, Jeremy Hunt.
"Nicolas Maduro has not called presidential elections within the eight-day deadline we set. So Britain, along with its European allies, recognizes Guaidó as an interim constitutional president until credible elections are held," Hunt said on Twitter, as reported by Reuters.
On January 31, Guaido was recognized as the "legitimate acting president" of Venezuela by the European Parliament, which called on all EU members to do the same by adopting a "firm and unified position."
This recognition of the self-proclaimed interim president will be valid "until free, transparent and credible elections are held with the aim of re-establishing democracy", stated the MEPs in the resolution adopted by a large majority of votes, at the suggestion of the largest groups in the EP.
After Guaido declared himself Venezuela's interim president on January 23, Maduro said early parliamentary elections could be held but ruled out early presidential elections, which were held in May 2018.
Maduro, who officially took office on January 10, 2019, won those elections, which were boycotted by the opposition and disputed the results.
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