Spanish PM applauds ¡°courage¡± of self-declared president of Venezuela

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S¨¢nchez is being pressured to take a stand on the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, where an opposition leader named Juan Guaid¨® has declared himself the legitimate president of the country.

At the World Economic Forum underway in Davos, Switzerland, several Latin American leaders called on S¨¢nchez to officially recognize Guaid¨® as the new president of Venezuela.

Colombia¡¯s Iv¨¢n Duque was particularly emphatic about the need for Spain to follow the lead of several countries in the Americas that have already expressed support for Guaid¨®.

S¨¢nchez, of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), was told that backing from Spain could play a big role in determining the European Union¡¯s position. Back home, several opposition parties have also asked the PM to show support for Guaid¨®.

S¨¢nchez is waiting for the EU to adopt a common position, but in the meantime he placed a telephone call to Guaid¨® to convey his ¡°empathy for your courage¡± in this attempt ¡°to represent the will of Venezuelans,¡± he told journalists in Davos.

Guaid¨® reportedly did not ask S¨¢nchez to openly endorse him, and the Spanish leader has not yet taken this step. In a tweet following his conversation with S¨¢nchez, Guaid¨® said that the Spanish leader ¡°confirmed his complete backing¡± for the option of ¡°achieving a transitional government and holding free elections.¡±

Spain is trying to convene a new meeting of the EU¡¯s Foreign Affairs Council in order to craft a common position. In a statement released on Wednesday, the EU said that it ¡°remains ready to support the restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela through a credible peaceful political process in line with the Venezuelan constitution.¡±

Faced with criticism from the Spanish opposition, which has defined S¨¢nchez¡¯s position as ambiguous, Jos¨¦ Manuel Albares, the Spanish secretary general for international affairs, underscored that S¨¢nchez has never been in touch with President Nicol¨¢s Maduro while supporting sanctions against his regime.

English version by Susana Urra.