Guaido returns, renews call for Maduro to step down
Opposition leader Juan Guaido shrouded the route and timing of his return in secrecy amid concerns he might be detained by Venezuela’s Government. Yet he breezed through airport immigration checks and brazenly called for the downfall of President Nicolas Maduro at a rally where the presence of security forces was minimal.
Guaido’s homecoming yesterday was the latest chapter in his struggle with Maduro. And, while Guaido’s presence is likely to add at least shortterm momentum to his campaign for political change, Maduro has proven resilient and still commands the critical loyalty of top military officers.
Venezuela is gripped by a humanitarian crisis that is expected to worsen as US oil sanctions designed to put more pressure on Maduro take their toll. With both political factions holding firm amid increasing deprivation for Venezuelans, some analysts speculate that they might be considering negotiations on an end to the standoff.
The fact that Guaido was not detained, at least so far, reflects the pressure Maduro faces not to intervene, said Luis Vicente Leon, head of the Caracas-based polling firm Datanalisis. “But it seems to indicate the beginning of a negotiation, local and international, whose details are not yet clear,” Leon said in a tweet.
For now, Guaido, leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, seems intent on probing Maduro’s socialist Government for vulnerabilities, saying he would meet today with public employee unions in an attempt to secure their cooperation. He also called for big protests this weekend, a tactic that has sometimes been countered by Maduro loyalists with flag-waving rallies of their own.
The United States and some 50 other countries have recognised Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, arguing that Maduro’s reelection last year was invalid because popular opposition candidates were barred from running.
Maduro has accused those nations of participating in a United Statesbacked coup plot against him.
Guaido, who left Venezuela last month despite a court order banning him from foreign travel, visited Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Ecuador. The governments of those countries support his claim to be Venezuela’s interim president and have urged Maduro to resign so the country can prepare for free and fair elections.