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Spain, Germany to Recognize Guaido if Maduro Fails to Set Early Election

Sputnik News

17:03 25.01.2019(updated 17:45 25.01.2019)

MADRID (Sputnik) - Spain will recognize Venezuelan Parliament Speaker Juan Guaido as interim president of the country if incumbent President Nicolas Maduro does not call for early elections in the country, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said Friday. A similar stance has been voiced by Berlin.

"If we see that there is no intention on the part of the Venezuelan regime to call [early] elections, other measures will be taken, including the recognition of the interim president so that these elections could be set by the National Assembly," Borrell said at a press conference in Madrid.

At the same time, the German Cabinet's spokesman has voiced a similar position.

"Venezuela now needs free and fair elections. The federal government, in the framework of the forthcoming consultations in the European Union, would support recognition of Juan Guaido, the interim president of Venezuela, if such free and fair elections are not held in the near future. The EU Political and Security Committee is meeting on this issue at this moment," Steffen Seibert said at a briefing.

The Venezuelan crisis could be resolved only through a peaceful political process within the framework of the constitution, the spokesman noted.

Berlin recognizes the opposition-run Venezuelan National Assembly, chaired by Guaido, as "the only democratically legitimate institute, which plays a special role on the country's path to democracy," according to Seibert.

The comments come after on Wednesday, opposition leader Guaido proclaimed himself the country's interim president at a mass rally in Caracas. The day before, the opposition-run Venezuelan National Assembly adopted a statement declaring Maduro a usurper.

The United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile and Colombia, among others, have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's interim president, while some other countries, including Russia and Mexico, expressed support for incumbent President Maduro.

© Sputnik