Venezuela's assembly condemns MEP's Gonzalez Urrutia's recognition
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The Venezuelan parliament says it "categorically rejected the sinister aggression prompted by the fascist right of the European Parliament."
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Workers lower a Venezuelan national flag on the dome of the Federal Legislative Palace after a session at the National Assembly in Caracas on September 19, 2024. (AFP)
Venezuela's National Assembly approved on Thursday a draft agreement condemning the interference in the Latin American nation's internal affairs by a group of far-right members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
The European Parliament passed on Thursday a resolution recognizing opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, now in Madrid where he was granted asylum, as Venezuela's "legitimate" president following the election in which Nicolas Maduro claimed victory.
Pedro Infante, the NA’s first vice president, emphasized that the interference originated from a faction of the European Parliament, composed of far-right deputies from Spain, Germany, France, Hungary, and Italy. He further recalled that the European Parliament had recognized Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s president in 2019.
The Venezuelan parliament stated that it "categorically rejected the sinister aggression prompted by the fascist right of the European Parliament."
Referring to the European Parliament’s 2019 recognition of Juan Guaido, an opposition leader who declared himself the winner of the presidential elections, the Venezuelan National Assembly denounced what it called "the illegal practice of the European Parliament of recognising false governments."
On his part, Jose Brito, a deputy and former presidential candidate, strongly condemned the interference of the MEPs in Venezuela’s internal affairs. He criticized these MEPs for ignoring the genocide perpetrated by "Israel" against the Palestinian people, despite the Israeli occupation forces having killed over 41,000 civilians in Gaza since last October.
Brito reaffirmed that Venezuela's internal issues will be resolved by Venezuelans themselves. "The time of the colony passed long ago. Venezuela is a sovereign country and it must be respected. There will be no Guaido 2.0 here," he underlined.
While the vote is non-binding and does not represent the official stance of EU member states, it came after center-right lawmakers aligned with a far-right bloc in a move that was condemned by the left.
In its resolution, the European Parliament called on the EU to "do its utmost to ensure that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the legitimate and democratically elected president of Venezuela, can take office on 10 January 2025."
The resolution, which passed by 309 votes to 201, also urged sanctions against "Maduro and his inner circle."
The resolution has also sparked controversy within the European Parliament, as it was drafted by the center-right European People's Party in collaboration with the newly formed far-right bloc, Patriots for Europe. This bloc includes far-right parties like France’s National Rally and Spain’s Vox, formed after the EU parliamentary elections in June.
Leftist politicians criticized the center-right European People's Party for breaking its promises not to collaborate with far-right groups.
Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, thanked the European Parliament for the vote, calling it "the recognition of the sovereign will of the people of Venezuela."
"My message to Venezuelans is this: The international community continues to increase its support," he posted on X.
The political crisis in Venezuela has intensified since authorities declared incumbent President Maduro the winner of the July 28 election. The opposition has rejected the results, claiming that Gonzalez Urrutia had won by a wide margin.
Several countries, including the United States, the European Union, and multiple Latin American nations, have refused to recognize Maduro’s victory until Caracas provides a detailed breakdown of the election results.
However, the country’s electoral authority has been unable to provide a full breakdown of the election results, attributing the delay to a cyberattack on its systems.
In the aftermath of the election, Venezuelan prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez Urrutia due to his continued claims that he was the legitimate victor.
Before leaving the country, the far-right candidate had been in hiding for a month, ignoring three summonses to appear before prosecutors.
Western-backed post-election riots in Venezuela have resulted in 27 deaths and 192 injuries, with the government reporting around 2,400 arrests.
Read more: Venezuela sends protest note to EU delegation for Borrell's statements
