By Fernando Heller
(EurActiv) -- The European Parliament recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate and democratically elected president of the country with a non-binding resolution passed on Thursday (19 September).
The resolution, passed with 309 votes in favour, 201 against and 12 abstentions, also recognised María Corina Machado as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela.
The non-binding text was approved by a majority of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE).
However, due to an amendment by the Social Democrats, Liberals and Greens that went through, the text fell short of calling on the EU and its member states – which have competence in foreign policy – to join inrecognisingGonzález Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
Thursday’s vote was the first time in the current European legislature that the EPP aligned with the far-right EU groups rather than the Socialists (S&D) and the Greens, among others.
According to the text seen by EFE, MEPs urge the EU and its member states to do “everything possible” to ensure that González can assume the presidency on 10 January 2025 while requesting an international arrest warrant for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for crimes against humanity.
In addition, they called on EU governments and the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, to reinstate sanctions against members of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) and extend existing sanctions on the regime “as a sign of goodwill.”