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EU sees opportunity for democratic transition in Venezuela, spokesperson says

By Thomson Reuters Jan 5, 2026 | 5:39 AM

BRUSSELS, Jan 5 (Reuters) – The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by ‍the United States on Saturday creates an opportunity for a democratic transition in the country, a European Commission ‌spokesperson said on Monday.

“It ‌is too early to look into and assess all the implications in terms of legal assessment”, ​the spokesperson said.

She did not comment on ‍how the EU ​would characterise the ​U.S. action, but said it “created ‍an opportunity for a democratic transition, led by the Venezuelan people.”

“It’s worth recalling that Nicolas Maduro lacked ‍the legitimacy of a democratically elected leader,” she added.

The spokesperson declined ‍to ‍comment on the ​question if the EU ​thinks ⁠U.S. President Donald ‌Trump is interested in a democratic transition in Venezuela.

(Reporting by Julia Payne, writing by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by ⁠Bart Meijer)