Key European countries demanded fresh elections within eight days or they'll recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as president. Nicolas Maduro is struggling to hold onto power in the crisis-ridden country.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos
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Germany on Saturday gave Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro eight days to call fresh elections to help end a yearslong political crisis in the South American country.
Government spokeswoman Martina Fietz said on Twitter that Berlin was ready to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as acting president unless a new vote is called in the next week.
"The people of Venezuela must be able to decide their future in freedom and security. If elections are not announced within 8 days, we are ready to recognize Juan Guaido as interim president, who will initiate the political process. [We're] working closely with European partners," Fietz wrote.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok, and the United Kingdom's foreign minister, Jeremy Hunt, made similar announcements.
Sanchez's statement said: "We do not seek to put or remove governments, we want democracy and free elections in Venezuela."
EU threatens 'further actions'
That position was echoed by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who said in a statement that the European bloc would "take further actions, including on the issue of recognition of the country's leadership," if the Venezuelan government failed to call elections in the coming days.
"We reaffirm our deep belief that a peaceful and inclusive democratic solution is the only sustainable way out of the current political impasse," the statement said.
The coordinated announcements are the most explicit yet from EU states, after the 28-member bloc struggled to draft a joint statement laying out its take on the crisis.
Speaking at a special session of the UN Security Council on Saturday, Venezuela's foreign minister insisted that Maduro remained the legitimate president despite international pressure.
"Nobody is going to give us deadlines or tell us if there are elections or not," Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said. "How is it that you can issue an ultimatum to a sovereign government?"
Maduro, who came to power 2013 as the designated heir to the late and hugely popular Hugo Chavez, has been mired in crisis since the Venezuelan economy tanked amid falling oil prices.
Populist social policies, introduced by his predecessor, have become economic liabilities that have resulted in hyperinflation, high unemployment, and shortages of basic goods.
Maduro won a second term in office last May in a vote the opposition and neighboring countries deemed was fraudulent, which has intensified pressure on him to step down. Until now, he has retained the loyalty of the powerful military.
In March 2017, violent protests erupted across the country in response to a Supreme Court decision to strip the legislative branch of its powers. Amid an international outcry, President Nicolas Maduro reversed the decision, but it was too late. Thousands continued to take to the streets, calling for new elections. More than 100 people were killed in clashes with security forces.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Barreto
Hunger, a growing problem
The violence added to the ongoing economic and political crisis in Venezuela. Many Venezuelans spend more than 30 hours a week waiting in lines to shop, and are often confronted with empty shelves when they finally enter a store. President Maduro blames the crisis on US price speculation. The opposition, however, accuses the Socialist government of economic mismanagement.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/C. Becerra
Health care in crisis
The crisis has even affected health care in the oil-rich nation. Venezuelans often head to Colombia to collect medical supplies to send home, as seen in this picture. Hospitals across Venezuela have compared conditions to those seen only in war zones. As patient deaths rise, health officials have sounded the alarm on the rise of malaria and dengue fever.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/M.Duenas Castaneda
Power grab
By July 2017, Venezuela's pro-government Constituent Assembly was established. For observers, it had all the hallmarks of a power grab. The new body adopted the authority to pass legislation on a range of issues, effectively taking away the powers of Venezuela's elected congress, which was under the opposition's control. The move drew wide international condemnation.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Miraflores
The West sanctions
In response to the political crisis, the United States and European Union imposed a series of sanctions against ruling officials. The US blacklisted members of the Constituent Assembly and froze all of Maduro's assets that are subject to US jurisdiction. The EU banned arms sales to the country.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AFP/T. Schwarz
Government victorious in regional elections
In October 2017, Venezuela held two votes: regional elections and elections for governors, which were long overdue. The opposition boycotted the vote, but then split, as some candidates and small parties chose to participate. This caused a deep rift within Maduro's opponents. The government went on to sweep the vote, which detractors say was unfair and heavily favored the regime.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos
Debt default
In November 2017, the oil-rich, cash-poor nation faced its day of reckoning. Credit ratings agencies declared Venezuela and its state-run oil company in "selective default." But Russia offered to restructure the South American country's debt to ensure Caracas pays its other creditors. US and EU sanctions, however, limited the chance of an agreement.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos
Presidential elections scheduled
The National Assembly announced in January 2018 that it would grant Maduro's call for snap presidential elections. The electoral authority, CNE, held the elections on May 20. The EU, the US and 14 Latin American nations warned that they would not recognize the results. The mainstream MUD opposition alliance boycotted the vote, leaving only one possible outcome.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Parra
Maduro wins ...
Maduro was re-elected to a second six-year term with about 68 percent of the vote. Turnout was only 46 percent, according to electoral authorities. However, the MUD opposition alliance put turnout at less than 30 percent. The Organization of American States (OAS) called the elections neither free nor fair.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos
... Guaido assumes power
But weeks into the new year, the situation took a drastic turn. On January 23, 2019, parliament president Juan Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela — a move that was quickly recognized by US President Donald Trump. Maduro called it a US-backed "coup." Days later, the US sanctioned Venezuela's state oil firm, while Guaido staked his claim on the country's foreign assets.
Image: Imago/Agencia EFE
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Russia, US confronted at UN
Meanwhile, Russia accused the US of plotting a "coup" against Maduro at the UN. Moscow also attempted, unsuccessfully, to block a UN Security Council meeting on the crisis.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also addressed the crisis on Saturday, focusing on Maduro's order to US embassy staff to leave the country.
"Let me be 100 percent clear — President Trump and I fully expect that our diplomats will continue to receive protections provided under the Vienna Convention," Pompeo said as the Maduro-set deadline was set to expire.
"Do not test the United States on our resolve to protect our people," he added.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Pompeo also called on all countries to recognize Maduro's rival Guaido.
"Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem," he said.
