Following recent United States intervention in Venezuela, the European Union has stepped up contacts with the United States and international partners to support dialogue between all parties, aiming for a Venezuelan-led, democratic and peaceful solution to the crisis.
In a joint statement, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and 26 EU countries called for calm and restraint, stressing respect for international law and the UN Charter. They underlined that respecting the will of the Venezuelan people is essential to restoring democracy and called for the release of all political prisoners.
The EU has repeatedly stated that Nicolás Maduro lacks the legitimacy of a democratically elected president and voiced support a peaceful, Venezuelan-led transition to democracy, in full respect of the country’s sovereignty.
In recognition of the struggle for democratic freedoms in Venezuela, the European Parliament awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to opposition leader María Corina Machado and president-elect Edmundo González Urrutia.