EU Nations Support Venezuela’s Guaido as Maduro Faces Growing Pressure

By Jose Elías Rodríguez and David Ljunggren

MADRID/OTTAWA – Several major European nations aligned with the United States on Monday by recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela. This decision came as part of a broader effort to increase pressure on socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

The formal acknowledgment from numerous European Union countries—including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Spain—followed the expiry of an ultimatum for Maduro to conduct new presidential elections. This move aligns these nations with Washington’s stance against Russia and China.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasized Spain’s commitment to supporting Venezuelans in their pursuit of freedom, prosperity, and harmony when announcing his government’s recognition of Guaido, who is the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly and declared himself interim ruler last month.

In a meeting held in Ottawa, 11 out of the 14 members of the Lima Group, which includes countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Canada, also reiterated their support for Guaido. They called for free elections and urged the international community to prevent Maduro’s administration from engaging in financial and trade transactions abroad or accessing Venezuela’s international assets.

In response, Maduro’s government criticized the European nations, asserting that their actions would negatively impact relations with Venezuela. They accused these countries of succumbing to a U.S. “strategy to overthrow the legitimate government” and labeled Spain’s actions as “cowardly.”

Additional EU nations recognizing Guaido included Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, and others. The U.S. welcomed this wave of recognition and encouraged more countries to follow suit. However, Italy blocked a unified EU stance on recognizing Guaido, reflecting internal divisions, while Norway, despite not being an EU member, also chose not to recognize him.

Maduro has held power since the death of former President Hugo Chavez in 2013 and faces accusations of ruling Venezuela, a country with a population of 30 million, as a dictatorship. Guaido, now 35, has galvanized the opposition with an optimistic message and consistently calls for military support to aid a transition to democracy.

“Soldiers, we are still waiting for you. The moment is now,” Guaido urged in a recent speech in Caracas, pressing the military to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.

Amid growing international pressure, including from neighboring nations, Maduro is facing increasing calls to resign following a disputed presidential election last year, which his critics have dismissed as fraudulent.

Maduro has expressed disdain for European leaders, branding them as sycophants for aligning with the U.S. He even reached out to Pope Francis, seeking a renewal of dialogue amid the current crisis, according to a Vatican official.

Most Lima Group members advocate for Maduro’s resignation in favor of Guaido and demand new elections. This sentiment is echoed by the U.S. and several other key Western countries. Recently, the Lima Group announced a travel ban and asset freeze against senior Venezuelan officials.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared that his government would formally recognize Guaido’s representative in Canada as Venezuela’s legitimate envoy, a symbolic gesture.

In an effort to maintain neutrality, the United Nations has stated that its officials will not engage in international initiatives regarding Venezuela.

Maduro’s critics argue that his government’s incompetence and corruption have decimated the once-prosperous nation, leading to severe shortages of food and medicine, with hyperinflation predicted to reach staggering heights in 2019.

Guaido has accused Maduro’s administration of attempting to transfer around $1.2 billion from the state development bank to a financial entity in Uruguay, urging the Uruguayan authorities to block any such movements, although he provided no evidence to support his claims.

Maduro, in turn, blames the U.S. and other Western nations for undermining Venezuela’s economy through various sanctions. Recently, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, and President Trump indicated that military intervention remained a potential option for dealing with the situation.