Guaido aides resign over ‘invasion’ ties

CARACAS: Two advisers to Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido resigned on Monday after being accused by the government of President Nicolas Maduro of links to a botched “invasion” by mercenaries.

“The political strategist Juan Jose Rendon and deputy Sergio Vergara presented their resignations” to Mr Guaido’s team, its press office said in a statement.

Mr Guaido, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, is recognised by more than 50 countries as the country’s acting leader and is trying to force Mr Maduro — who was re-elected in 2018 in a poll widely viewed as rigged — from power.

But Mr Maduro retains the backing of the armed forces who thwarted the attempted invasion by a small band of mercenaries just over a week ago.

Two Americans were among 45 people captured and accused of taking part in the invasion, while another eight people were killed.

The Americans — former US soldiers Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41 — have been imprisoned and charged with “terrorism, conspiracy, illicit trafficking of weapons of war and [criminal] association.”

Mr Guaido accepted the resignations of Mr Rendon, his “general strategist”, and lawmaker Vergara, his “presidential commissioner” in crisis management, the press office said.

Mr Maduro’s regime has accused Mr Guaido and US President Donald Trump of being behind the seaborne invasion, which took place in the early hours of May 4, off the northern coast.

On Friday, the attorney general’s office announced it was seeking an international arrest warrant for both Mr Rendon and Mr Vergara, who live in the United States.