European Union: Restoring Democracy in Venezuela Requires Respect for the Will of the People

SadaNews - On Sunday, EU countries, except for Hungary, called on all parties in Venezuela to exercise restraint, affirming that respecting the will of the Venezuelan people is the only way to restore democracy in the country.

A joint statement issued by the twenty-six member states of the union, along with the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, stated, "The European Union calls on all parties to exercise calm and restraint to avoid escalation and ensure a peaceful resolution to the crisis."

The statement added: "Respect for the will of the Venezuelan people remains the only path for Venezuela to restore democracy and resolve the current crisis."

U.S. President Donald Trump warned interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday of facing severe consequences if she does not cooperate with Washington following the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro in a U.S. military operation.

Trump said in a phone interview with American magazine "The Atlantic": "If you do not do the right thing, you will pay a very high price, maybe even higher than Maduro," who was arrested along with his wife by U.S. special forces in a surprise operation on Saturday.

U.S. officials, including Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hinted at the possibility of cooperating with remaining officials from Maduro's administration, but on the condition that they take the "right steps", including allowing American companies to benefit from the country’s vast oil reserves.

Trump confirmed on Saturday that his country would "manage" Venezuela during a transitional phase, even though he had previously criticized U.S. foreign policy that resorted to overthrowing regimes and rebuilding countries.

In his talk with "The Atlantic", Trump stated that "reconstruction in Venezuela and changing the regime, call it whatever you want, is better than what currently exists."