Relationship dossier
Sweden
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
Sweden’s support for Guaidó and EU measures against Venezuelan officials strained relations with Maduro’s government.
Sweden toward Venezuela
-35The Swedish government recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president in 2019 and supported EU measures against Venezuelan officials over democratic and human-rights concerns, positioning Sweden against Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Venezuela toward Sweden
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
Sweden recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president in 2019 and supported European Union measures against Venezuelan officials over democratic and human-rights concerns. These policies created significant friction with Nicolás Maduro’s government. Information about specific Venezuelan government actions directed at Sweden is insufficient to assess its policy toward Sweden.
Areas of tension
- Sweden’s recognition of Juan Guaidó as interim president in 2019.
- Swedish support for EU measures against Venezuelan officials.
Key developments
Sweden recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of direct bilateral cooperation and agreements is unclear.
- Specific Venezuelan government responses directed at Sweden are unclear.