Call for defections
Venezuela’s opposition leader calls on more members of the military to abandon the socialist government.
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition leader called on more members of the military to abandon the socialist government after Saturday’s defection of a high-ranking general, as President Nicolás Maduro proposed holding early National Assembly elections that could potentially oust his challenger.
Maduro’s call for early legislative voting is likely to intensify a political standoff with rival Juan Guaidó, who heads the opposition-controlled assembly and is demanding a new presidential election. Guaido declared himself Venezuela’s legitimate ruler Jan. 23, and he has the support of Washington and most South American nations.
Guaidó told supporters Saturday that he would keep his opposition movement in the streets until Maduro stopped “usurping” the country’s presidency and agreed to a presidential election overseen by international observers. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans joined opposition protests against Maduro in Caracas and other cities.
Guaidó called on “blocks” of the military to defect from Maduro’s administration and “get on the side of the Venezuelan people.”
“We don’t just want you to stop shooting at protesters,” Guaidó said in a hoarse voice. “We want you to be part of the reconstruction of Venezuela.”
He said that in the coming days, the opposition would try to move humanitarian aid into the country by land and sea along three border points, including the Colombian city of Cucuta. He described the move as a “test” for Venezuela’s armed forces, which will have to choose whether to allow the much-needed aid to pass or instead obey the orders of Maduro’s government.
Maduro also dug in his heels, insisting that he was the only president of Venezuela and describing Saturday’s anti-government protests as part of a U.S.-led coup attempt. “I agree that the legislative power of the country be re-legitimized and that we hold free elections with guarantees and the people choose a new National Assembly,” Maduro said at a pro-government demonstration in Caracas. The opposition controls the National Assembly, while government supporters control the powerful Constituent Assembly.
The socialist leader also had words for President Donald Trump’s administration, which recently imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports to undermine Maduro’s main source of income and weaken his grip on power.
“Do you think you are the emperor of the world?” he asked Trump. “Do you think Venezuela is going to give up and obey your orders? We will not surrender.”
Earlier Saturday, a Venezuelan air force general defected from Maduro’s administration and called on his compatriots to participate in protests against the leader’s rule.
Gen. Francisco Yanez is the first high-ranking officer to leave Maduro’s government since Jan. 23, when Guaido declared himself the country’s legitimate leader by invoking two articles of the Venezuelan Constitution that he argues give him the right to assume presidential powers. He considers Maduro’s election win fraudulent.
In a YouTube video, Yanez described Maduro as a dictator and referred to Guaidó as his president. He didn’t say if he was still in Venezuela or had left the country.
Yanez said in his video that “90 percent of the military” is against Maduro, but it is unclear how many will actively support the opposition.