U.S. calls for the formation of new government in Venezuela
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. stepped up its criticism of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Saturday with an explicit call for the formation of a new government in the South American country.
The State Department said in a statement that it stood behind the head of Venezuela’s oppositionrun congress, Juan Guaido, who said Friday that he was prepared to step into the presidency temporarily. The statement was the latest in a series of Trump administration attacks on Maduro, whose inauguration to a new term as president Thursday has been widely denounced as illegitimate.
“The people of Venezuela deserve to live in freedom in a democratic society governed by the rule of law,” State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.