On September 19, 2024, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution recognizing Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate and democratically elected president of Venezuela. The resolution received 309 votes in favor, 201 against, and 12 abstentions, with significant support from the European People's Party, ultraconservatives, and the far-right.
The resolution also acknowledges María Corina Machado as the leader of democratic forces in Venezuela. However, an amendment proposed by social democrats, liberals, and greens prevented a call for the European Union and its member states to officially recognize González Urrutia.
González Urrutia expressed gratitude to the European Parliament, stating in a video, “Venezuelans want the same as Europeans: to live in freedom and democracy.” This vote marks a shift for the European People's Party, which has traditionally aligned with the left in the Parliament.
The resolution urges the EU and its member states to do everything possible to ensure González Urrutia can assume the presidency on January 10, 2025. It emphasizes that respecting the will of the Venezuelan people is essential for restoring democracy and addressing the ongoing humanitarian and socioeconomic crisis.
Additionally, the Parliament calls on the International Criminal Court to investigate ongoing human rights violations and arbitrary detentions linked to Nicolás Maduro's regime, which was declared elected by Venezuela's National Electoral Council without the required voting records.
The resolution also demands the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners and applauds Spain's decision to grant asylum to González Urrutia. It further requests that EU governments restore sanctions against members of Venezuela's National Electoral Council as a gesture of goodwill, warning that failure to achieve a peaceful transfer of power by January 10, 2025, could lead to a new wave of migration, similar to the exodus of nearly eight million Venezuelans in recent years.
Through this resolution, the European Parliament takes a symbolic step beyond the European Council, which has refrained from recognizing Maduro or the opposition leader.