European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said on Sunday that France will recognize Juan Guaido, the head of the Venezuelan National Assembly who proclaimed himself Venezuelan interim president on January 23, as the country’s president if the election is not announced until Sunday evening.
“Election [of Venezuelan President Nicolas] Maduro was a farce. If he does not undertake efforts to organize a presidential election before tonight, we will consider Mr. Guaido as the legitimate President of Venezuela,” Loiseau said, as quoted by Le Figaro newspaper.
The contact group will comprise the European Union, eight of its member states (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) and Latin American countries (Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Uruguay).