Trump backs opposition in Venezuela crisis
‘Mr Guaido’s assembly is the only branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people’
‘We were just walking calmly, all we want is peace and freedom’
THE White House yesterday recognised Venezuela’s opposition leader as the country’s rightful president as the army fired tear gas at anti-government protesters in Caracas.
The move puts the United States on a collision course with Nicolas Maduro, the beleaguered Leftist president, as the opposition leader symbolically swore himself in as president.
Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan National Assembly President, raised his right hand in front of tens of thousands of Venezuelans, “assuming the duties of the executive branch”. The move had been anticipated for weeks after the 35-year-old announced that he was “willing” to assume the presidency on Jan 11, one day after Mr Maduro was inaugurated for a second term in office.
The opposition-controlled parliament and about 60 countries have pledged not to recognise Mr Maduro in his second term, and claim that Mr Guaido should assume the presidency under several articles of Venezuela’s constitution. They consider Mr Maduro’s re-election in May 2018 as a sham.
Donald Trump, the US president, yesterday said the opposition-controlled assembly, of which Mr Guaido is the head, was “the only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people”.
Mr Trump said that the US did not consider Mr Maduro the legitimate ruler of the Latin American country, and deemed “the office of the presidency therefore vacant”.
Mr Maduro announced shortly after Mr Trump’s declaration that he was ending diplomatic relations with the US and gave all US personnel 72 hours to leave the country.
“The government of the United States is leading a coup against us in order to install a puppet government they can control,” he said. “Get out.”
After the symbolic swearing in of Mr Guaido in Caracas, he turned to the crowd, and urged them to raise their hands and “swear to recover democracy and the constitution”.
Maduro opponents, who had been urging Mr Guaido to make the move for weeks, jumped and cheered ecstatically as he took the oath.
However, the country’s armed forces remain loyal to Mr Maduro for now, while Mr Guaido has repeatedly said he would need the army to support him in his bid to oust the president.
In a show of support for Mr Maduro, national guard troops fired tear gas at those attempting to gather in other parts of the city yesterday.
Opposition politicians urged those in Caracas to meet in several points around the city, but authorities only allowed demonstrators to gather in the city’s east side.
“We were just walking calmly, all we want is peace and freedom,” Rocio Piña said as she fled from tear gas, her face smeared with a paste to ease the effects of the chemicals.
The thousands of Venezuelans who did arrive at the stage where Mr Guaido took the oath filled several city blocks to hear him speak, waving hundreds of Venezuelan flags in the heat of the sun.
The move by Mr Guaido to symbolically assume the presidency is expected to make him a target for state security forces who may attempt to arrest him using treason charges.