UK recognises Juan Guaido as interim leader of Venezuela

The move follows the failure of the embattled incumbent Nicolas Maduro to call new presidential elections as demanded by the Europeans and other foreign countries.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the people of Venezuela had suffered enough and it was time for a “new start”, with free and fair elections in line international democratic norms.

Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Lithuania all joined in recognising Mr Guaido, who proclaimed himself interim president on January 23.

Mr Maduro, however, showed no signs of bowing to the pressure, warning that he could not rule out civil war if the protests against his regime continued.

“I don’t accept ultimatums from anybody. Why should the EU be giving ultimatums to a country?” he said in an interview with Spanish television broadcast late on Sunday.

In a statement, Mr Hunt: “The United Kingdom now recognises Juan Guaido as the constitutional interim president of Venezuela, until credible presidential elections can be held.

“The people of Venezuela have suffered enough. It is time for a new start, with free and fair elections in accordance with international democratic standards.

“The oppression of the illegitimate, kleptocratic Maduro regime must end. Those who continue to violate the human rights of ordinary Venezuelans under an illegitimate regime will be called to account.

“The Venezuelan people deserve a better future.”

Theresa May spoke by phone with her Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Sunday about the situation in Venezuela, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a media briefing in Westminster.

The PM’s spokesman said: “As the Foreign Secretary said this morning, those who continue to violate the human rights of ordinary Venezuelans under an illegitimate regime will be called to account.

“We are looking at what further steps we can take to ensure peace and democracy in Venezuela, including through sanctions.”

The spokesman declined to say what form any sanctions might take. While the UK remains a member of the European Union any such actions would be implemented at an EU level.

Foreign minister Sir Alan Duncan was representing the UK at a summit of the Lima Group of South and Central American countries to discuss Venezuela in Canadian capital Ottawa.

In Madrid, Mr Sanchez told reporters: “We are working for the return of full democracy in Venezuela: human rights, elections and no more political prisoners.”

The United States and a number of Latin American countries have already recognised Mr Guaido, who proclaimed himself interim leader on January 23 amid mass protests against the Maduro regime.

Mr Guaido has argued Mr Maduro’s re-election in May was fraudulent and that, as head of the Venezuelan congress, the country’s constitution gave him power to declare himself interim president.

However Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – a long-standing admirer of Mr Maduro’s socialist predecessor Hugo Chavez – has strongly condemned outside interference in Venezuela “whether from the US or anywhere else”.