The EPP family follows with great concerns the latest developments in Venezuela and, considering that • Due to the socialist mismanagement of the Maduro regime Venezuela has been caught in an economic downward spiral for years now that has been causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis; • In the last 4 years this humanitarian crisis has led to a massive exodus of approximately 7% of the Venezuelan population; • The Presidential vote held on 20 May 2018 has failed to fulfil the most basic democratic standards and therefore was not recognised by the international community; • The EPP has a longstanding commitment to freedom, democracy and fundamental rights; • In 2017 the democratic struggle of the Venezuelan opposition and political prisoners was recognized by the European Parliament with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought; • Since the beginning of the Maduro regime over 200 people have been killed in protests, over 8,300 extra judiciary executions and 12,000 cases of arbitrary detentions have been reported, and more than 1,300 political prisoners have been detained in the country. Currently, 300 political prisoners remain under the custody of the Bolivarian intelligence service (SEBIN); • In accordance with the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the president of the National Assembly Juan Guaidó declared himself interim-President and has received official recognition of over 30 countries; - Welcomes the approval on 31 January 2019 of resolution of the European Parliament, submitted by the EPP Group, which recognised Juan Guaidó’s constitutional presidential claim; - Declares that Nicolás Maduro does not represent the democratic choice of the Venezuelan people and cannot be recognized as the legitimate President of Venezuela; - Recognises Juan Guaidó as interim-President of Venezuela as stated in Art. 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution and agrees to support his transition roadmap; - Supports the holding as soon as possible of elections under the monitoring and supervision of independent international observers; - Denounces the arbitrary detentions of journalists, who were covering the latest news in Venezuela in recent days, which represent a clear violation of the freedom of media and expression; - Demands the immediate release without further delay of all political prisoners.