Resolution on the situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on 10 January 2025

The European Parliament adopted by 374 votes to 53, with 163 abstentions, a resolution on the situation in Venezuela following the usurpation of the presidency on the 10th of January 2025.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, ECR and Renew groups.

On 28 July 2024, Venezuelans voted peacefully and in large numbers, demonstrating strong civic and democratic commitment. However, the regime-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) refused to publish the official electoral records and falsified the results, falsely declaring Nicolás Maduro as the winner. Despite this, credible evidence, including publicly available electoral records and reports from impartial observers like the UN mission and the Carter Center, confirmed that Edmundo González Urrutia won by a significant majority of 67.05%.

The resolution strongly condemned Nicolás Maduro's illegitimate usurpation of the Venezuelan presidency and highlighted Edmundo González Urrutia as the rightful winner of the 2024 presidential elections, a victory recognised by the EU and other democratic bodies. It criticised the regime’s failure to respect the people's will, the suppression of the opposition, and widespread human rights violations.

Parliament stated that the Venezuelan regime has missed a key opportunity to respect the will of the people and ensure a transparent democratic transition of power. It lacks any democratic and political legitimacy and Parliament does not recognise the presidency by Nicolás Maduro.

Moreover, Parliament called for:

- the end to the systematic pattern of human rights violations;

- the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons;

- strengthened sanctions targeting Maduro and his inner circle;

- urgent humanitarian support for Venezuelans suffering from a prolonged crisis.

Members also expressed concern for the arrest of Italian NGO volunteer Alberto Trentini and urged solidarity with Venezuela’s democratic forces, emphasising the need for international alignment to restore democracy.

Parliament fully supports ongoing ICC investigations into crimes by the regime and welcomed the return of the UN Human Rights Office to Caracas. It denounced the humanitarian and migratory crises caused by the regime's actions and urged neighbouring countries and the EU to assist displaced Venezuelans while rejecting the regime's reduction of accredited diplomatic staff.

Lastly, the resolution stressed that, in the disjunction between democracy and dictatorship, there is no room for ambiguity or middle ground, one is either on the side of the democrats and those that suffer from repression, or on the side of the dictators.