Madrid/Paris, February 4
Ten European nations joined the United States in recognising Opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim President on Monday, heightening a global showdown over Nicolas Maduro’s socialist rule.
France, Spain, Germany, Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands’ coordinated move came after the expiry of an eight-day ultimatum for Maduro to call a new election.
The Venezuelan leader, accused of running the OPEC nation of 30 million people like a dictatorship and wrecking its economy, has defied them and said European rulers are sycophantically following President Donald Trump.
Guaido, who leads the National Assembly, declared himself caretaker leader last month in a move that has divided international powers and brought Venezuelans onto the streets. Trump immediately recognised him but European Union countries were more hesitant.
Russia and China, which have poured billions of dollars of investment and loans into Venezuela, are supporting Maduro in an extension of their geopolitical tussle with the United States. “From today, we will spare no effort in helping all Venezuelans achieve freedom, prosperity and harmony,” Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said, urging fair elections and humanitarian aid.
In response, Maduro accused “cowardly” Spain of taking a “malign” decision. “If one day there is a coup, if one day there is a gringo military intervention, your hands will be stained with blood, Mr. Pedro Sanchez,” he said.
Maduro, 56, a former union leader, bus driver and foreign minister, replaced former president Hugo Chavez in 2013 after his death from cancer. But he has presided over an economic collapse and exodus of 3 million Venezuelans.
A draft EU statement said the 28-member bloc would “acknowledge” Guaido as interim President, but formal recognition was a prerogative of individual states.
Russia accused Europe of meddling. “Imposing some kind of decisions or trying to legitimise an attempt to usurp power is both direct and indirect interference,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Caracas pays both Russian and Chinese loans with oil.
Italy’s 5-Star Movement, which makes up half of the ruling coalition, dissents from the European stance, saying it would not recognise self-appointed leaders. But its governing partner, the League, disagrees. — Reuters
How the political situation escalated
Venezuela’s political crisis appears to be reaching boiling point amid growing efforts by the opposition to unseat the socialist president Nicolás Maduro
Presidency disputed?
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Maduro was first elected in April 2013 after the death of his socialist mentor and predecessor Hugo Chávez. At the time, he won by a thin margin of 1.6 percentage points
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During his first term in office, the economy went into freefall and many Venezuelans blame him and his socialist government for the country’s decline
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Maduro was re-elected to a second six-year term in highly controversial elections in May 2018, which most opposition parties boycotted
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Nicolas Maduro’s re-election was not recognised by Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly
Why protests now?
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After being re-elected to a second term in early elections in May, 2018, Nicolas Maduro announced he would serve out his remaining first term and only then be sworn in for a second term on January 10
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It was following his swearing-in ceremony that the opposition to his government was given a fresh boost. The National Assembly argues that because the election was not fair, Mr Maduro is a “usurper” and the presidency is vacant
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This is a line that is being pushed in particular by the new president of the National Assembly, 35-year-old Juan Guaido
Who is Juan Guaido?
Citing articles 233 and 333 of Venezuela’s constitution, the legislature says that in such cases, the head of the National Assembly takes over as acting president. That is why Guaidó declared himself acting president on Jan 23
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2HPKxSp
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