The European Parliament’s largest group, the European People’s Party (EPP) have filed a resolution calling on EU countries to recognise opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela and to do all they can to ensure he takes office in January 2025.

The EPP group, led by Germany’s Manfred Weber, registered the resolution, which was seen by EFE on Friday.

The European Union and its member states must “request an international arrest warrant against Nicolás Maduro for crimes against humanity for all the serious human rights violations he committed,” the resolution reads.

EU countries must apply targeted sanctions against Maduro and his inner circle, their families and all those responsible for human rights violations in Venezuela, the EPP added.

The European Parliament is expected to debate the crisis in Venezuela on Tuesday, based on the initiative of the EPP, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), the Patriots for Europe group, and the liberal Renew Europe group. A resolution on Venezuela is expected to be voted on Thursday.

Tensions between Spain and Venezuela are at an all-time high after the Spanish parliament, with the exception of PSOE and Sumar, the main left-wing forces in government, approved a non-binding proposal on Wednesday calling on Madrid to officially recognise González’s victory.

After Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles (PSOE/S&D) described the Maduro regime as a “dictatorship” on Thursday, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, on Sunday described Maduro’s regime in Venezuela as “dictatorial” and “authoritarian”.

(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.Euractiv.es)

Read more with Euractiv

Madrid denies claims of ‘plot’ to assassinate Maduro

The Spanish government has categorically rejected Venezuela’s claims that two of its citizens arrested by the country’s secret services on Saturday were part of Spanish intelligence and planned to carry out attacks, including an attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.