Macron considers pushing European sanctions against Venezuela

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) with President of the Venezuelan parliament Julio Borges (L) at the Elysee Palace in Paris Reuters/Thibault Camus/Pool

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he may push for European sanctions against Venezuela after meeting leaders of the opposition to President Nicolas Maduro in Paris on Monday.

Macron expressed "total support" for the National Assembly, dissolved by Venezuela's top court after the controversial election of a constituent assembly, the parliament's president Julio Borges said after meeting the French leader at the Elysée Palace.

Borges said that the opposition had received "impressive" support from abroad in its battle with Maduro, whom he accused of preventing international aid from arriving in the crisis-hit country.

Macron "condemned the repressive measures taken against the opposition and renewed his support for the rule of law and a healthy democratic process in Venezuela", a presidential statement said.

"He added that, in the absence of a positive sign from the government in this respect, France was ready to start a European consideration of adopting measures targeting those responsible for this situation," it went on.

Borges and his deputy, Freddy Guevara, were to go on to Madrid to meet Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday, to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday and then to London to meet British Prime Minister Theresa May.