FAILED coup leader Juan Guaido thanked the European Parliament today after it called on EU governments to recognise him as Venezuela’s interim leader.

The self-declared president was handed a boost after the Brussels announcement late on Thursday of a resolution carried with 391 votes in favour, 114 against and 177 abstentions.

It called on “… member states to unequivocally recognise the constitutional continuation of the legitimate National Assembly of Venezuela elected in 2015 and the legitimate interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaido.”

While votes at the European Parliament are non-binding it could give EU leaders the impetus to reverse a decision from January 6 to downgrade Mr Guaido’s status after a string of failed coups and his removal as president of Venezuela’s National Assembly.

Mr Guaido is no longer even an MP, as the National Assembly to which he was elected exhausted its five-year term late last year, and he did not stand for re-election.

Mr Guaido expressed his gratitude saying: “I thank the European Parliament support for the Constitution and Venezuelans by recognising the National Assembly and the Presidency in Charge.”

The European Parliament was one of the first major bodies to recognise Mr Guaido after he declared himself the interim president of Venezuela in 2019, soon after the inauguration of democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro.

It went on to award him its annual human rights prize. MEPs called for further sanctions against the Bolivarian government, on top of those already imposed.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Tuesday that Washington will continue to recognise Mr Guaido as the rightful leader of the South American nation.

He called for increased targeted sanctions and referred to Mr Maduro as “a brutal dictator” who needs to be removed from power.