Venezuela’s Guaidó, Trump meet
WASHINGTON >> Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó on Wednesday scored a long-sought meeting with President Donald Trump, a high point on an international tour aimed at bolstering support for Guaidó’s U.S.-backed campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
But Guaido left the White House without the one thing coveted by every leader who visits: an Oval Office photo opportunity with the American president. Soldiers lined the White House driveway as Guaidó arrived for the afternoon meeting. Trump stepped onto a red carpet and into a damp chill to welcome Guaidó and escort him to the Oval Office for a private meeting after a stroll along the colonnade. Guaidó sported a red tie, just like Trump.
A day earlier, Guaidó was a guest at Trump’s State of the Union address. Lawmakers applauded as Trump introduced Guaidó as Venezuela’s “true and legitimate” leader and called Maduro a “tyrant.”
The White House said Guaidó’s visit was an “opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the people of Venezuela.” The leaders were to discuss how the U.S. can work with Guaidó to “expedite a democratic transition in Venezuela that will end the ongoing crisis.”
Vice President Mike Pence and Guaidó met at the Capitol before Pence left on a trip to Pennsylvania. Also attending were Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both Florida Republicans.
The U.S. and nearly 60 other governments say Maduro’s 2018 election was illegitimate and that Guaidó, as leader of the country’s National Assembly, should be named interim president under Venezuela’s constitution. These countries blame Maduro’s socialist policies for a political and economic crisis threatening regional stability.
Maduro, however, remains in control, having faced down a failed military uprising, a brief renewal of mass anti-government protests, and sanctions and other U.S. efforts to force him to leave office.
Guaidó slipped out of Venezuela at a time when he had few options left and was struggling to draw significant numbers of people into the street to protest against Maduro.