Respecting Will of Venezuelans Only Way to Restore Democracy, EU Says

The EU’s statement was supported by 26 of the bloc’s 27 member states, with Hungary the only country not to endorse it.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas attends a news conference after the Five Defense Ministers meeting in Berlin on Nov. 14, 2025. Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo

The European Union said on Jan. 4 that the right of Venezuelans to determine the future of their country “must be respected,” and called for the principles of international law to be upheld, following the U.S. raid on Caracas and capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

In a statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said Brussels believes that Maduro lacks the legitimacy of a democratically elected president and that the bloc has “advocated for a Venezuelan-led peaceful transition to democracy in the country, respectful of its sovereignty.”