Two SYRIZA MEPs vote against recognition of Venezuela's Guaido

Two SYRIZA MEPs voted against a European Parliament motion to recognize Venezuela's self-declared interim president Juan Guaido as de facto head of state on Thursday, urging the bloc's 28 governments to also consider the opposition leader as "the only legitimate interim president" until there were "new free, transparent and credible presidential elections" in the troubled Latin American nation.

The decision was passed with 429 votes in favor - including those of SYRIZA MEPs Stelios Kouloglou and Constantina Kouneva - to 104 against, with 88 abstentions, at a special session in Brussels following Guaido's declaration as interim president last week in a bid to oust socialist incumbent Nicolas Maduro.

SYRIZA came under fire last week for expressing its support for the embattled Maduro, who is being accused of serious human rights violations and of rigging last year's...