Relationship dossier
Belgium
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
Belgium’s recognition of Juan Guaidó and alignment with EU measures have marked political friction with Venezuela.
Belgium toward Venezuela
-25Belgium recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president in 2019 and participated in EU restrictive measures concerning Venezuela, reflecting opposition to Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Venezuela toward Belgium
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Belgium recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president in 2019, aligning with a group of European governments that rejected Nicolás Maduro’s legitimacy. Belgium also participated in the European Union’s restrictive measures concerning Venezuela. These actions mark significant political friction, but the scope of direct bilateral engagement and Venezuela’s specific conduct toward Belgium are unclear.
Areas of tension
- Belgium’s recognition of Juan Guaidó as interim president challenged Nicolás Maduro’s claim to the Venezuelan presidency.
- Belgium’s participation in EU restrictive measures concerning Venezuela.
Key developments
Belgium recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president, in line with several European governments.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct Belgian-Venezuelan diplomatic engagement is unclear.
- Venezuela’s specific government actions toward Belgium, apart from its broader disputes with European governments, are unclear.