PARIS, 19 September - The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for an international arrest warrant for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and recognition of opposition leader Edmund González Urrutia as head of state. The legislators' resolutions are advisory and not legally binding.
Parliament "calls on the EU and its Member States to request the issuance of an international arrest warrant for Nicolás Maduro for crimes against humanity," the resolution states.
Lawmakers have also called for renewed sanctions against members of the country's National Electoral Council for what they say is a lack of transparency in the vote count. They also called for further restrictions on Venezuelan officials.
The legislators recognised Edmund González Urrutia as the legitimate President of Venezuela and called on EU Member States to do the same. According to the resolution, the EU and its Member States should "to do everything in their power"so that he can take office on 10 January 2025. If the transfer of power does not take place, the following will take place "a renewed migratory exodus to other countries in the region", the resolution states.
Venezuela held presidential elections on 28 July. The National Electoral Council, after processing almost 97 % votes, announced that 51.95 % ballots were for Maduro and 43.18 % for Edmundo González. The opposition said it refused to concede defeat. The following day, protests broke out in the centre of Caracas and turned into riots. According to Venezuelan authorities, more than 2 200 people were arrested for arson and other offences.
On 14 September, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the detention of two Spanish citizens, three US citizens and one Czech citizen on suspicion that they were allegedly planning to destabilise the country. The US State Department denied that Washington had any involvement and said the US continued to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela. The governments of Spain and the Czech Republic have also denied their involvement in attempts to provoke instability.
TASS/ gnews - RoZ_07
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