Metsola: Maduro Should Face Justice Rather Than Assume Office “Illegitimately”

Brussels – Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, stated on Friday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should be held accountable for election irregularities and the crackdown on opposition, rather than being “illegitimately sworn in” to office.

In a social media message, Metsola urged the Chavista authorities to “return Venezuela to the people,” emphasizing that “freedom must prevail.” She asserted, “Maduro must face justice, not illegitimacy. Venezuela will be free,” while expressing her support for opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was arrested on Thursday during protests near Caracas against Maduro’s inauguration.

Machado reported that she was detained by the “repressive forces of the regime” but is now in a “safe place.” This was her first comment since the campaign team announced her arrest and subsequent release following a demonstration in Chacao.

In related news, the Spanish Government has chosen not to send any representatives to Maduro’s swearing-in ceremony, according to sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation. Spain has not recognized Maduro’s victory in the presidential elections held on July 28, particularly after the National Electoral Council (CNE) failed to release official vote tallies. Opposition numbers suggest a significant win for their candidate, Edmundo González.

Spain continues to align with the broader European stance that does not recognize Maduro as president, while also refraining from acknowledging Edmundo González as the legitimate president, even though both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate have urged the government to take this step.

Additionally, Spain has granted political asylum to a veteran diplomat and opposition candidate to replace Machado, who could not run. He has expressed his willingness to return to Venezuela for the swearing-in ceremony.

The absence of a Spanish representative at Friday’s event is expected to be echoed by other EU member states, clearly indicating Spain’s refusal to recognize Maduro as president, although it has decided not to close its embassy in Caracas.

To maintain diplomatic representation regardless of the political situation, the Spanish Government appointed Álvaro Albacete as the new ambassador at the beginning of December. Albacete presented his credentials to Maduro on December 23, allowing him to act on behalf of Spain’s interests.