Politics

Leopoldo López: ‘Europe cannot be neutral’

Alida Juliani

Madrid, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez says Europe cannot remain neutral in the democratic struggle in the crisis-ridden South American nation that Nicolas Maduro has ruled since the death of his predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez, in 2013.

In an interview with Efe, Lopez — currently living in exile in Madrid — praised the European Union for its “explicit recognition” of the National Assembly and its leader Juan Guaidó.

“There is a very clear support in all the positions that have come out on the part of Europe to the National Assembly, but above all to the democratic sectors and to our struggle”, he said.

But, he said, the support has not gone far enough.

“It is a declarative support, while the support that Maduro receives from countries such as Iran, China or Russia is military, intelligence, money laundering through corruption, in receiving the blood gold that comes from profound violations of the environment and of human rights, as well as diplomatic support in the UN,” Lopez said.

It is for that reason that the exiled leader said Europe “cannot be neutral: either you are with the dictatorship or you are against the dictatorship.

“Either you are with freedom or you are with the dictatorship, there are no nuances. That is why we insist on the importance of a very clear support, with cohesion among the different countries and with the determination to exert all the necessary pressure to get rid of Maduro,” Lopez said. EFE/EPA

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