Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

LISBON (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido in a phone call on Thursday that he supported the legitimacy of the Venezuelan parliament and called for free elections, in line with the European Union’s position.

Guaido has declared himself Venezuela’s interim president, with the backing of Washington and parts of Latin America, and the Spanish leader acknowledged Guaido’s “courage with which he has been handling the situation”, a government spokesman said.