Defiant Guaido returns to Venezuela

CA R ACA S, V EN E ZU EL A • Declaring he knows he is at risk, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido returned Monday to his homeland to renew his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

The 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly showed off his passport before climbing onto scaffolding and pumping his fist during the demonstration in Caracas, delighting euphoric followers whose efforts to oust Maduro have fallen short in a nation gripped by a humanitarian crisis.

There were few security forces nearby and no immediate comment from Maduro’s government, which has tried to divert the public’s attention to carnival festivities Monday and Tuesday.

While thousands of Venezuelans heeded Guaido’s call for protests coinciding with his return, many wonder whether he can maintain momentum against a government that, while under extreme pressure itself, has relentlessly cracked down on opponents in the past, jailing or driving into exile top opposition leaders.

“We know the risks that we face. That’s never stopped us,” Guaido said after arriving at Venezuela’s main airport and going through immigration checks. He was greeted by top diplomats from the United States, Germany, Spain and other countries who possibly hoped to head off any move to detain Guaido by bearing witness to his return.

“We hope there won’t be any escalation and that parliamentary immunity is respected,” said Spanish Ambassador Jesus Silva Fernandez.

The United States and some 50 other countries have recognized Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, arguing that Maduro’s re-election last year was invalid because popular opposition candidates were barred from running.

At the demonstration, Guaido called for massive protests on Saturday and said he would meet Tuesday with public employee unions controlled by the government of Maduro, who retains the support of military generals despite the desertion of hundreds of lower-ranking military personnel.

Guaido visited Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Ecuador over the past week — all countries that support his claim to be Venezuela’s interim president and calls on Maduro to resign so that the country can prepare for free and fair elections.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that threats or action by Maduro’s government against Guaido “will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.”

Maduro has said he is the target of a U.s.-backed coup plot after the Trump administration joined dozens of other countries in backing Guaido. The United States has also imposed oil sanctions on Venezuela, which has the world’s largest oil reserves.

FEDERICO PARRA / AFP / GETTY IMAGES Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido waves to supporters upon his arrival in Caracas on Monday, defying the threat of arrest from embattled President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.