MADRID 01/23/2019 23:58 Updated: 01/24/2019 00:29 EFE
The European Union (EU) has expressed its "full support" to the National Assembly of Venezuela as the democratically elected institution in the country, and called to begin "immediately" the process to hold elections "free and credible, in accordance with the constitutional order ".

"The EU fully supports the National Assembly as the democratically elected institution, whose powers have to be restored and respected," said the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Federica Mogherini , in a statement on behalf of the Member States of the Union. .

Mogherini pronounced this way after self-proclaimed the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, interim president of the country. However, the community representative has avoided recognizing the opposition leader as Venezuela's head of state, as other countries have done.

The Italian policy affirmed that "the people of Venezuela have massively requested democracy and the possibility of freely determining their own destiny". "These voices can not be ignored," he said . Mogherini also emphasized that the "National Assembly, including its president, Juan Guaidó, must be" observed and fully respected, the civil rights, freedom and security ".

He stressed that the violence and the excessive use of violence by the security forces are "completely unacceptable and it is certain that they will not resolve the crisis". "The Venezuelan people have the right to demonstrate peacefully to freely elect their leaders and decide their future," Mogherini said.

The head of Community diplomacy insisted that the EU and its member states "remain willing to support the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela through a credible and peaceful political process in line with the Venezuelan Constitution."