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Russian senator slams EU Parliament’s resolution on Venezuela

Juan Guaido, Venezuelan opposition leader and parliament speaker declared himself interim president at a rally in Caracas on January 23

MOSCOW, January 31. /TASS/. The European Parliament’s resolution to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuelan president can be considered meddling into the affairs of a sovereign state and an act of outside pressure, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council's (upper house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev stated on Thursday.

On Thursday, the EU Parliament has approved the resolution on Venezuela, which recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s interim president and calls on the EU member states to follow suit.

The EU’s recognition of Guaido "as the country’s legitimate interim president is a clear act of meddling into the internal affairs of a sovereign state and external pressure with the aim to change domestic and foreign policy of the state in favor of outside powers, and not an act of support of democracy and human rights," Kosachev told reporters.

According to the Russian senator, earlier ultimatums presented by European politicians stating that they would recognize the self-proclaimed president Guaido if the current leader Nicolas Maduro fails to call a new election in the country are "a blatant disrespect of a different political reality and imposition of their own viewpoint and of politicians acceptable to them." "To my mind, in this way, the US and Western Europe are discrediting Guaido himself, presenting him as their puppet, and not as an opposition member or a representative of serious political forces within the country," the senator stressed.

At the same time, Kosachev does not think that the world is now split between those who support Guaido and those who do not. "The divide takes place in a different area: between supporters of the right of peoples and countries to determine their own destiny, and representatives of the "true knowledge" idea, who not only tell other nations which political systems and leaders they must have, but also impose their position by force," the Russian senator added.

Kosachev also stated that this is another direct confrontation between a unipolar and bipolar vision of the world. "Russia is choosing democracy. We are confident that Venezuela will deal with its problems on its own, without any unwanted advisors from the outside," he concluded.

Political upheaval rocks Venezuela

Juan Guaido, Venezuelan opposition leader and parliament speaker, whose appointment to that position had been cancelled by the country’s Supreme Court, declared himself interim president at a rally in the country’s capital of Caracas on January 23. Several countries, including the United States, Lima Group members (excluding Mexico), Australia, Albania, Georgia and Israel, as well as the Organization of American States, recognized him. Maduro, in turn, blasted the move as a coup staged by Washington and said he was severing diplomatic ties with the US.

Meanwhile, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands said that they would recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president unless Maduro called elections by February 3.

In contrast, Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Turkey voiced support for Maduro, while China called for resolving all differences peacefully and warned against foreign interference. The United Nations secretary general, in turn, called for dialogue to resolve the crisis.