BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government on Thursday called for democratic new elections in Venezuela, joining forces with the United States in saying it stood with the opposition-controlled National Assembly, not Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

“With regard to #Venezuela, we are not neutral,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter. “We support the National Assembly, which is elected by the people. Maduro has no democratic legitimacy as President.”

The United States on Thursday requested a public U.N. Security Council meeting on Venezuela, a day after recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president and urging other countries to do the same.

Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president on Wednesday, winning support from U.S. President Donald Trump and some Latin American countries. Maduro has responded by cutting diplomatic ties with the United States and ordering the country’s diplomats to leave.

Maas told Germany’s Deutsche Welle broadcaster on Thursday: “We are on (Juan) Guaido’s side,” the media group said in a posting on Twitter.

Germany, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, earlier said the National Assembly had a special role to play in securing a free future for Venezuela.

“The Venezuelan people are courageously committed to a free future for the country,” government spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeted. “This requires a political process that leads to free and credible elections. The democratically elected National Assembly has a special role to play here.” </s> Germany's ambassador to Venezuela has returned after being expelled by President Nicolas Maduro's government in March over Berlin's backing of opposition leader Juan Guaido's claim to the presidency, the German embassy said on Monday.

Daniel Kriener arrived back in the crisis-hit South American nation at the weekend to "once again perform his duties from Caracas," the German embassy said on Twitter.

In March, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza declared Kriener "persona non grata" as he was given 48 hours to leave the country.

The move was criticized both by Germany and the European Union.

Maduro's government had accused Kriener of "interference" after he welcomed Guaido back at Caracas airport following the National Assembly speaker's controversial trip abroad to meet allied regional leaders.

Guaido -- who in January declared himself acting president in a direct challenge to the socialist leader's authority -- was under a travel ban imposed by the regime.

Germany is one of the more than 50 countries to have recognized Guaido's claims.

"Our position with respect to recognizing Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president, in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution, has not changed," said Germany's foreign ministry.

Venezuela's foreign ministry said the move had initiated a "process of normalization of relations between the two states."

Guaido and Venezuela's opposition have branded Maduro a "usurper" over his re-election last year in a poll widely dismissed as having been rigged.

They want Maduro to resign so new elections can be held.

The two sides have held talks in Norway and Barbados to try to resolve the political impasse.

Venezuela is crippled by an economic crisis that has left a quarter of the 30 million population needing humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. </s> CARACAS, Venezuela, Friday August 4, 2017 – A new controversial Constituent Assembly has been installed in Venezuela, amid Opposition forces rallying thousands to hit the streets in protest.

The 545-member body, elected in marred elections last Sunday, is headed by former foreign minister Delcy Rodríguez who was sworn in as President of the assembly today.

The Constituent Assembly has the power to rewrite the constitution and dissolve state institutions, and will be seated in a chamber of the Legislative Palace in Caracas, where the Opposition-controlled Parliament normally convenes.

It is also reportedly made up of President Nicolas Maduro’s staunchest supporters, including his wife and son.

The new assembly has been strongly condemned by local Opposition forces who said it is nothing more than an attempt by the Maduro administration to grab power.

International countries and organizations, including the European Union, some Latin American countries and the United States, have also frowned on the body, saying they won’t recognize it.

Earlier today, Pope Francis urged President Maduro to suspend the Constituent Assembly which he says is fuelling “a climate of tension” rather than reconciliation and peace.

However, Maduro has seemingly rejected the call.

In response, the Opposition has pulled out government critics to march in the capital, heightening the probability of violent clashes between protesters and security forces.

Over the last four months, Caracas has been rocked by violent protests which have resulted in the deaths of 125 people, and more than 5,000 people have been detained by security forces. </s> MADRID – Spain, Britain, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Denmark officially recognized Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela on Monday, while France said the opposition leader had the right to organize an election in the face of the socialist government’s refusal to call new elections.

“The Government of Spain announces that it officially recognizes Juan Guaidó as president in charge of Venezuela,” Spanish President Pedro Sánchez said in a statement read before the media.

To which followed a tweet from the British Foreign Minister, Jeremy Hunt: “Nicolás Maduro has not called presidential elections within the 8-day limit that we have established (…) So the United Kingdom, together with the European allies, now recognizes @jguaido as interim constitutional president. ”

The coordinated movement of European countries comes after the expiration of eight days that the European Union gave Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to call a new presidential election.

The Venezuelan leader, accused of running the OPEC nation as a dictatorship and ruining his economy, has said Europe’s ruling elite is sycophantic and is following the agenda of US President Donald Trump.

Guaidó, who heads the National Assembly controlled by the opposition, proclaimed himself president last month provoking a division among the world powers.

Trump recognized it immediately and countries of the European Union backed Guaidó, but some are nervous about the precedent that someone feels self-proclaimed.

Russia and China, which have invested billions of dollars in Venezuela, are supporting Maduro. Moscow accused the EU countries of meddling in Venezuela’s affairs.

The Venezuelan government said it would “fully review” its relations with the European governments who had recognised Mr. Guaidó.

A foreign ministry statement said those governments were “officially submitting to the United States administration’s strategy to overthrow the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro”.

On Sunday Mr. Maduro dismissed calls for a new presidential vote, saying he would not accept “ultimatums”. He has denounced Mr. Guaidó’s move as a coup.

As head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Mr. Guaidó says the constitution allows him to assume power temporarily when the president is deemed illegitimate.

Meanwhile, the Lima Group of Latin American countries and Canada called Monday for a peaceful change in government in Venezuela, without military intervention.

Eleven of the group’s 14 members said in a joint statement after meeting in Ottawa that they “reiterate their support for a process of peaceful transition through political and diplomatic means without the use of force.”

They also urged Venezuela’s military to support opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president and “not to impede the entry and transit of humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans.”

Guaido’s “legitimate government of Venezuela” was also welcomed into the Lima Group.

The bulk of the funds are to go to “trusted partners” and neighboring countries to help them support three million refugees that have fled Venezuela, he said.

Mr. Maduro, who took office in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chavez, has been condemned for alleged human rights abuses and for his handling of the economy.

The annual inflation rate reached 1,300,000% in the 12 months to November 2018, according to a study by the National Assembly.

According to United Nations figures, three million Venezuelans have left the country since 2014 when the economic crisis started to bite. </s> BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia on Tuesday rejected a Russian warning against foreign military intervention in Venezuela and said it supported a peaceful transition to democracy in the neighboring South American country.

"Colombia reiterates that the transition to democracy must be conducted by the Venezuelans themselves peacefully and within the framework of the Constitution and international law, supported by political and diplomatic means, without the use of force," Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said in a statement.

He was responding to a March 28 letter from the upper house of Russia's parliament, forwarded to Colombia's Congress by Russian Ambassador Sergei Koshkin, that said the "illegitimate use of military force against Venezuela by other states that support the opposition will be interpreted ... as an act of aggression against a sovereign state."

Venezuelan soldiers stand guard at the Tienditas International Bridge that links Colombia and Venezuela, near Urena, Venezuela, February 8, 2019. Associated Press

Russia has emerged as a staunch backer of Venezuela's leftist President Nicolas Maduro as his nation descended into political turmoil this year. The United States and dozens of other nations have backed opposition leader Juan Guaido, who invoked the constitution to assume Venezuela's interim presidency in January, arguing that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Colombia, which supports Guaido, has repeatedly denied it has any intention of launching a military offensive across its border with Venezuela.

But in his statement on Tuesday, Trujillo said military support for Maduro's socialist government risked harming the transition to democracy while threatening regional peace and security.

The March touchdown near Caracas of two Russian air force planes carrying some 100 Russian special forces and cyber-security personnel has raised international concerns about Moscow's backing for Maduro.

Russia, which has supplied fighter jets, tanks, and air defense systems to Venezuela, has dismissed US criticism of its military cooperation with Caracas saying it is not interfering in the Latin American country's internal affairs and poses no threat to regional stability.

An airplane with the Russian flag at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas, Venezuela, March 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

Russian state-owned defense firm Rostec said Monday that it had owned a training center in Venezuela to teach the country's pilots to fly Russian-made Mi-35M helicopters gunships and Russian-made military transport helicopters.

Igor Chechikov, deputy chief executive at Russian Helicopters, told Russian news agencies on Tuesday that all the necessary equipment has been delivered to Venezuela and that construction of the training center should be done by the end of this year.

Colombia acted as a staging ground in February as the United States and other countries supported Guaido's effort to transport hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid into Venezuela. Maduro, who dismisses Guaido as a U.S. puppet, blocked the aid and Venezuelan troops pushed back protesters with tear gas.

Millions of Venezuelans have fled to Colombia to escape widespread food and medicine shortages in their chaotic homeland, seeking jobs locally and passage into other Latin American countries. </s> MEDELLIN, Colombia: Members of the Organization of American States (OAS) ended two days of meetings on Friday without a clear plan for increasing pressure on embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, despite a majority vote to recognise a representative from the country's opposition.

The oil-rich country's economic and political crisis has dominated recent OAS meetings, with some member states denouncing Maduro as a dictator and others continuing to back him.

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro had said the group would seek to ramp up pressure on Maduro during this week's session in Medellin, Colombia and even debate eventual sanctions.

But the member states were divided by the presence of a representative sent by Veneuzela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, who argued that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate. In January, Guaido invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency.

Uruguay withdrew from the assembly on Thursday in protest. The OAS permanent council approved the delegation in April but member states did not vote on it until Friday when 20 countries including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, the United States and Peru backed recognition until Venezuela holds its next elections.

Eight countries voted against recognising the delegation, while six abstained. Bolivia, Mexico and Nicaragua have expressed dismay at the opposition's presence.

"Colombia voted with enthusiasm for this declaration," said Colombian foreign minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo. "The only objective that we all seek is for our Venezuelan brothers to finally be able to vote freely for the government they want."

The leader of the opposition delegation said the Venezuelan people need a voice at the OAS.

"Our delegation is grateful for this support of our people," Julio Borges said during the meeting. "We can only tackle the Venezuelan tragedy in one way - giving a voice to the Venezuelan people."

Guaido tweeted that the vote was a great victory for the cause of Venezuelan democracy.

Maduro announced Venezuela's withdrawal from the OAS in 2017 and has accused the Washington-based group of being a U.S. pawn.

Venezuela, home to the world's largest oil reserves, has been in political limbo as shortages of food and medicine have led millions to flee.

The number of Venezuelan migrants abroad could double by the end of next year to 8 million, the OAS said in a report on Friday.

The assembly also approved a resolution supporting a peaceful solution to Nicaragua's political crisis, which has rolled on for more than a year amid protests against President Daniel Ortega. </s> CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — More than a dozen European Union countries endorsed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president Monday, piling the pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro to resign and clear the way for a new presidential election.

Maduro stood defiant, rejecting a U.S offer of humanitarian aid that has shifted attention to Venezuela's western border with Colombia, where opponents were gearing up to try to bring emergency food and medicine into the country.

"We are not beggars," Maduro said in a speech to troops broadcast on Venezuelan state TV.

Spain, Germany, France and Britain delivered diplomatic blows to Maduro's rule by publicly supporting Guaido after a Sunday deadline for Maduro to call a presidential election passed without action. Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal also lined up behind Guaido, who last month declared himself interim president with the support of the United States and many Latin American nations.

In Canada's capital, foreign ministers from the Lima Group of 13 Western Hemisphere countries that took the lead in recognizing Guaido as Venezuela's rightful leader discussed additional steps to pressure Maduro.

Before the closed-door meeting got under way, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned a "dictatorship willing to use force and fear" to maintain its power. He also announced $53 million in humanitarian aid to support the Venezuelan people.

"We know that the people of Venezuela are facing tremendous hardship and they need our help, as do the countries that have taken in those fleeing violence," Trudeau said.

The coalition called upon Venezuela's military to allow badly needed food and medicine across the border and show their loyalty to Guaido. They also urged the United Nationa and the international community to step up with humanitarian assistance.

Maduro showed no signs of caving in and lashed out at the EU, accusing it of taking orders from the Trump administration, who he has repeatedly accused of trying to carry out a coup to get its hands on Venezuela's oil reserves, the world's largest.

But he stopped short of breaking off diplomatic relations with the 16 European countries that recognized his rival Monday, unlike his swift move to cut off ties with the U.S. after it threw its support behind Guaido last month. A growing list of 38 countries has now recognized Guaido, including non-EU European nations Kosovo, Iceland and Albania.

Long-time backers Russia and China are among at least nine nations that have declared their support for Maduro.

Maduro was especially harsh on fellow socialist and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, saying he would have "blood on his hands" if Maduro is toppled.

"They gave us an ultimatum, as if Venezuela was being governed from Madrid," said Maduro, who was addressing troops Monday on the 27th anniversary of the failed military uprising that thrust his political mentor, the late Hugo Chavez, onto the national stage.

Amid the rising pressure, Maduro has shown signs he's willing to negotiate.

In an interview that aired Monday with Italy's Sky TG24 he said that he had written Pope Francis asking for help in fostering dialogue with the opposition.

The Vatican didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Maduro's appeal. Recently, while in Central America, Francis called for a "just and peaceful" solution to the crisis in Venezuela. But he didn't say if the Holy See would recognize Guaido and said he had no business interfering in the crisis.

Some of the EU countries backing Guaido are part of a newly formed "International Contact Group" of eight European and four Latin American nations. It aims to facilitate dialogue and is due to hold its first meeting in Uruguay on Thursday.

Portugal's Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva said the group wants to end Venezuela's political stalemate through the ballot box, preventing a civil war or an "illegitimate foreign intervention."

Venezuela's opposition has rejected any offers of dialogue that don't include Maduro's exit as a starting point.

Meanwhile, the opposition was moving ahead with a risky strategy to bring in humanitarian aid from Colombia , hoping to break the all-important military's loyalty to Maduro.

"Soldiers of the fatherland: We need the humanitarian aid to come, for your mother, your sister and all your family," Guaido said at a news conference at the National Assembly to thank the European governments for their support.

"Otherwise we are sentenced to death," he said.

While U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said last week that boxes of USAID branded baby formula and supplies for malnourished children are being readied to deploy to Venezuela, it's not clear how they can safely enter.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is among the groups who have warned about the dangers of deploying aid without the consent of the Maduro government, which has repeatedly rejected the offers.

Maduro denies the existence of a humanitarian crisis, calling it a fabrication by Venezuela's enemies to sow instability and justify a military intervention.

But David Lipton, the No. 2 at the International Monetary Fund, called Venezuela's economic crisis — marked by widespread food shortages, protracted hyperinflation and the loss of human capital through emigration — an "unprecedented economic storm" that will required generous, broad-based international support to overcome.

"We have seen versions of each," Lipton said on Twitter, "but rarely a combination as severe at this."

Associated Press writer Scott Smith reported this story in Caracas and AP writer Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon. AP writers Christine Armario in Cucuta, Colombia, and Tracey Lindeman in Ottawa, Canada, contributed to this report. </s> The Lima Group has called on Maduro "not to assume presidency on January 10… and to temporarily transfer the executive power to the National Assembly until a new, democratic presidential poll is held."

The nations reiterated their full support of the Venezuelan legislature, elected in 2015, and rejected as illegal last May’s vote that saw Maduro re-elected for a second six-year term.

Reacting to media reports that US State Secretary Mike Pompeo took part in the meeting via teleconference, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza slammed the 14-member group for taking orders from US President Donald Trump.

READ MORE: Lima Group Decides to Offer Asylum to Venezuelan Officials — Reports </s> CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s government is threatening to withdraw from the Organization of American States over what it sees as attempts by foreign governments to meddle in its affairs by taking sides in political unrest that has worsened in recent weeks.

Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez tells state TV that she has been instructed by President Nicolas Maduro to initiate Venezuela’s withdrawal from the Washington-based OAS if the region’s foreign ministers hold a meeting on the crisis without his government’s backing.

Representatives at the OAS are scheduled to meet in Washington on Wednesday to discuss a proposal by 16 countries including Brazil, Mexico and the United States to call a special meeting of the region’s foreign ministers to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

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Germany has announced its support for the Venezuelan National Assembly to take over Executive powers in Venezuela.