Angling for the top spot in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela — The head of Venezuela’s opposition-run Congress said Friday that he’s prepared to step into the nation’s presidency temporarily to replace Nicolas Maduro, whose inauguration has been rejected as illegitimate by most countries in the hemisphere.

National Assembly President Juan Guaido made the statement to an energized crowd blocking a busy Caracas street a day after Maduro’s inauguration to a second term.

“Guaido for president!” the crowd chanted. “Out with Maduro!”

But Guaido said he’d need support from the public, the armed forces and the international community before trying to form a transitional government to hold elections to replace Maduro.

“The constitution gives me the legitimacy to carry out the charge of the presidency over the country to call elections,” Guaido said. “But I need backing from the citizens to make it a reality.”

The head of the Organization of American States, Secretary-General Luis Almagro, wasn’t waiting. He sent out a tweet recognizing Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. “You have our support,” Almagro declared.

Guaido asked Venezuelans to turn out for a nationwide demonstration on Jan. 23, a historically important date for Venezuelans — the day when a mass uprising overthrew dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez in 1958.

The constitution assigns the presidency to the head of the National Assembly if Maduro is illegitimate.

But overall the military so far has remained firmly behind Maduro, despite some reports of small-scale attempts at revolt.