ZAGREB, February 5, 2019 - Croatia supports Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president so that, in that capacity, he can carry out presidential elections as part of a solution to the crisis in the country, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
The ministry expressed concern about the latest developments in Venezuela and the further deepening of the political, economic and humanitarian crisis, strongly condemning the violations of human rights and the rule of law as well as the violence which resulted in deaths and injuries of citizens and numerous arrests.
Croatia supports the democratically elected legitimate bodies of Venezuela, the National Assembly and its president, in carrying out, in his capacity as interim president, free, fair and democratic presidential elections and ensuring the legitimacy of institutions, the ministry said.
In this respect, Croatia has joined other European Union member states in a joint statement, the ministry said.
We underline the importance of finding a peaceful and democratic solution as part of a viable political process which should include the holding of free, transparent and credible presidential elections in line with international democratic standards and Venezuela's constitution, the ministry said.
Madrid, London, Paris, Berlin and several other European capitals recognised Guaido today as Venezuela's interim president after Nicolas Maduro refused to give in to an ultimatum and call presidential elections. The European Union is divided over this, with some countries, such as Italy and Greece, deciding to wait to see how the situation develops before making a decision.
The Foreign Ministry said that Croatia, as part of efforts for overcoming the current crisis peacefully, supported the establishment of an International Contact Group on Venezuela which should help create conditions for a credible political process and the holding of elections.
We are working with partners in the EU to enable the provision of humanitarian aid which, due to a regime ban, cannot be delivered. In this context, Croatia is especially concerned about the large Croat community living in Venezuela, the ministry said.
More news on the Croatian foreign policy can be found in the Politics section.
