Below is a  February 4 letter signed by 39 members of the European Parliament. It comes from three different political groups in the European Parliament and condemns EU support for the attempted coup in Venezuela.

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Letter in defence of a political dialogue in Venezuela, guaranteeing that Latin America and the Caribbean remains a zone of peace.

We, the undersigned MEPs, condemn any expression of support provided to the ongoing coup attempt in Venezuela, as portrayed by the self-proclamation of Juan Guaidó as “Interim President” of the country. This self-proclamation finds no background in the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and was rejected at least by the Organisation of American States, the UN Security and Humans Rights Council, and the CARICOM.

The recognition of such a self-proclamation constitutes a severe threat to international law and the UN Charter, namely in what concerns the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.

The EU institutions and member states must not undermine the integrity of international law and of multilateralism. Such a position would only contribute to the further destabilisation and escalation of violence in a sovereign and independent country, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, thus deepening the risk of a foreign military intervention at the cost of the suffering and lives of the people of Venezuela, with unpredictable consequences both internally and in the South America and Caribbean region.

The EU institutions and member states must commit to a position that, in respect of basic principles of international law, affirm the need for a peaceful political solution built through political a peaceful dialogue, free from external interferences.

As such, we urge the EU member states and the council to embrace and support the joint invitation by Mexico and Uruguay, which reacting to the call of the UN Secretary General for dialogue, are calling for an International Conference on February 7 in Montevideo, aiming to establish the needed conditions for an inclusive political dialogue that could ease the tensions in Venezuela and seek solutions for a political exit of the current and dangerous situation.