Relationship dossier
France
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
Political disputes and European sanctions have strained France–Venezuela relations.
France toward Venezuela
-35France supported opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s claim to Venezuela’s interim presidency in 2019 and backed European Union sanctions against Venezuelan officials over political repression and democratic shortcomings.
Venezuela toward France
-15Venezuela’s government has rejected French criticism and France’s support for opposition claims, publicly characterizing European pressure as interference in Venezuelan affairs.
Overall relationship
-25The relationship has been shaped chiefly by France’s alignment with European pressure over Venezuela’s political crisis, including support for Guaidó and sanctions against Venezuelan officials, and by Caracas’s rejection of that pressure. The available picture of direct cooperation and the durability of bilateral engagement is limited.
How 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
France has criticized the Venezuelan government’s political conduct, supported opposition claims to legitimacy after the 2018 presidential election, and backed European sanctions targeting Venezuelan officials. Venezuela has rejected French and European criticism as interference. These disputes have strained relations, although the information about direct bilateral cooperation and the full scope of Venezuelan government measures toward France is limited.
Areas of tension
- France’s support for opposition claims to Venezuela’s interim presidency
- European sanctions against Venezuelan officials
- French criticism of Venezuela’s electoral and political conduct
Key developments
France recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president amid the dispute over the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro’s 2018 re-election.
France backed European Union sanctions targeting Venezuelan officials over the country’s political crisis.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of direct bilateral cooperation and its implementation is unclear.
- Details of Venezuelan government measures specifically targeting France are limited.