BFF-36 Venezuelan FM rejects EU ultimatum for new election

926

ZCZC

BFF-36

VENEZUELA-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-EU-VOTE-UN

Venezuelan FM rejects EU ultimatum for new election

UNITED NATIONS, United States, Jan 26, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Venezuela’s foreign minister rejected a European ultimatum Saturday to hold elections within eight days, insisting that Nicolas Maduro remained the legitimate president despite US-led pressure.

“Nobody is going to give us deadlines or tell us if there are elections or not,” Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told a special session of the United Nations Security Council.

“How is it that you can issue an ultimatum to a sovereign government?” he asked.

Hours earlier, Britain, France, Germany and Spain told Maduro that he had eight days to organize elections or they would recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president.

The United States and a number of Latin American nations have already recognized Guaido amid a mounting political and economic crisis that has led more than two million Venezuelans to flee.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, addressing the Security Council session, urged all nations to “stand with the forces of freedom” and back Guaido. He did not stay for Arreaza’s remarks.

BSS/AFP/MMA/2356HRS