EUROPEAN Union foreign ministers called for calm in Venezuela yesterday as a far-right opposition leader vowed to “paralyse” the country.

A Brussels summit of ministers from the bloc’s 28 members — including British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson — issued a statement, saying: “Violence and the use of force will not resolve the crisis in the country.”

They said people’s rights “must be respected, including the right to peacefully demonstrate. It is crucial that all parties refrain from violent acts.”