Greek opposition urges gov’t to clarify position on Maduro

Greece’s conservative opposition has urged the country’s left-led administration to clarify its position on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro following reports in the foreign press that Athens has resisted calls by other EU member states for European sanctions against the South American country’s socialist government.

“We are calling upon the Foreign Ministry to finally clarify in a formal and categorical fashion what Greece’s position is [on Maduro],” New Democracy’s shadow foreign minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos said in a statement Thursday, adding that foreign media had portrayed the government in Athens as “a key and persistent champion of Maduro’s regime.”

The EU on Wednesday declined to recognize the result of Venezuela's violence-marred vote that will give Maduro's ruling party virtually unlimited power. Brussels said it was ready to “gradually step up” pressure on the leftist president, but it shied away from introducing sanctions.