US tells EU to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s president

US Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday called on the European Union to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the president of Venezuela.

In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, Pence said Guaido, who has declared himself interim leader and has won the U.S. and international support to replace Nicolas Maduro, deserved that “the rest of the world” recognize him, and called Maduro a dictator who must step down.

"All of us must stand with the Venezuelan people until freedom and democracy is fully restored," Pence told.

"So today we call on the European Union to step forward for freedom and recognize Juan Guaido as the only legitimate president of Venezuela."

Guaido, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, declared himself president of the crisis-wracked country in January, piling pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.

Pence said that after the United States became the first nation to recognize the parliamentary leader as head of state, "52 nations including 30 of our European allies have followed America's lead".

"But it's time for the rest of the world to step forward," he said.

"Once more the Old World can take a stance in support of freedom in the New World. All of us must stand with the Venezuelan people until freedom and democracy is fully restored."