EU working on joint Venezuela statement

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal</p> <p>LONDON (AA) – EU member states are consulting on a joint reaction to the latest developments in Venezuela, a statement from French president’s office said Wednesday.</p> <p>“France is consulting with its European partners about the situation in Venezuela, the president's office said on Wednesday as the South American country's opposition leader declared himself interim president,” read a statement from Emmanuel Macron’s office.</p> <p>Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrel said a joint statement from the EU on the situation is important amid demands of the government from the right-wing opposition to recognize Juan Guaido as president.</p> <p>Some Venezuelans living in the Spanish capital of Madrid who celebrated the developments in a main square were joined by the leader of main opposition party, the People’s Party.</p> <p>German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass also said a joint response is being worked on with EU partners.</p> <p>&quot;We call on all actors Venezuela in prudence and to refrain from violence,&quot; he said.</p> <p>“ [We] Will coordinate a joint response with our EU partners,” he said.</p> <p>Britain’s Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Alan Duncan said on Twitter he was “following the situation in Venezuela carefully’ and “Juan Guaido has widespread support among Venezuelans.”</p> <p>He said: “The political crisis has gone on long enough. Now is the time to find a way forward that leads to a peaceful solution for all Venezuelans.”</p> <p>Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen also took to the Twitter.</p> <p>“New hope in Venezuela. Denmark will always support legitimate elected democratic institutions- not least the parliamentary assembly including Juan Guaido,” he said. “Working for a strong EU statement.”</p> <p>Meanwhile, Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, urged the EU to recognize Guaido as president.</p> <p>“The US, Canada &amp; many crucial EU partners in Latin American have recognised @Jguaido as President of #Venezuela &amp; the EU should do the same,” he said on Twitter.</p> <p>“He is the only legitimately elected representative of the Venezuelan people &amp; authorities must guarantee his fundamental rights &amp; security,” Verhofstadt wrote.</p> <p>U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Washington would recognize opposition leader Guaido as interim president.</p> <p>Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has slammed the decision and said his country was cutting off diplomatic relations with the U.S., giving American diplomats 72 hours to leave the country.</p> <p>Maduro made the announcement while speaking to supporters who gathered at the Presidential Palace in the capital of Caracas.