The European Parliament voted on Thursday to officially recognize exiled opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate and democratically elected president of Venezuela. Meeting in Strasbourg, France, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) approved the non-binding resolution by 309 votes in favor, 201 against, and 12 abstentions.
The resolution also explicitly acknowledged opposition figurehead María Corina Machado as the leader of Venezuela's democratic movement. Lawmakers strongly rejected the official outcome proclaimed by Venezuela's regime-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE), highlighting that authorities failed to publish certified voting tallies (actas) from the July 28 presidential election.
A Decisive Majority in the Strasbourg Hemicycle
Independent international observers, including the Carter Center and the United Nations Panel of Experts, previously determined that the Venezuelan election failed to meet basic international standards of democratic integrity. Voting tallies collected and published online by the opposition coalition indicated that González secured a commanding majority exceeding 67% of the vote.
González, a 75-year-old former diplomat, sought political asylum in Spain earlier this month after Venezuelan prosecutors loyal to the Maduro administration issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of usurpation of functions and conspiracy.
“The European Parliament sends an unambiguous message: the will of the Venezuelan people expressed at the ballot box must be respected. Edmundo González is the legitimate, democratically elected president.”
Demands for Sanctions and International Accountability
Beyond political recognition, the Strasbourg resolution urges the 27 European Union member states to coordinate unified diplomatic pressure to ensure that González can take the oath of office in Caracas on January 10, 2025. MEPs also demanded the reinstatement and expansion of targeted asset freezes and travel bans against top members of the Maduro regime and security apparatus.
In a notably forceful provision, the text urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Nicolás Maduro over widespread human rights abuses and crimes against humanity committed during the post-election crackdown, which resulted in more than 2,000 arrests and over 20 fatalities.
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