Juan Guadio (C). IMAGE: AP Photo / Fernando Llano
The US is fueling crisis in Venezuela in an obvious attempt to implement a regime change policy in the country.
On January 23, US President Donald Trump once again declared the government of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro “illegitimate” and officially recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as “the Interim President of Venezuela”.
The citizens of Venezuela have suffered for too long at the hands of the illegitimate Maduro regime. Today, I have officially recognized the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the Interim President of Venezuela. https://t.co/WItWPiG9jK
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2019
Later, Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he was considering sending the US military to the country, that all options were on the table for Venezuela.
“We’re not considering anything, but all options are on the table,” he said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Maduro to step aside and confirmed the US support to the transitional government.
“The Venezuelan people have suffered long enough under Nicolas Maduro’s disastrous dictatorship”, he said. “We call on Maduro to step aside in favour of a legitimate leader reflecting the will of the Venezuelan people.”
Multiple reports appeared in the media that Washington is considering imposing an oil embargo against Venezuela if its government takes action to defend his government.
Meanwhile, Guaido, the president of the disempowered National Assembly, claimed that he had entered the office as Interim President of Venezuela. He claimed that 4 of the 23 Venezuelan states had joined the protests against the government and called on the army to support the protesters. After this, he reportedly fled to the Colombian embassy where he’s waiting for the international community to intervene.
Several, Latin American countries, including Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Brazil, with a high US influence in within the government also decided to recognize the opposition leader as Venezuela’s interim president.
A look at the situation in the capital of Caracas:
According to different sources, from 2 to 6 people were killed in clashes between protesters and police. Multiple people were injured.
In response, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that his country was breaking diplomatic and political relations with the US, and gave Washington’s diplomats 72 hours to leave. The president vowed to fight for the people’s right to peace and a sovereign government of their choosing.
He accused the US of attempting to stage a coup in the country.
Russia recognizes Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
“I think that in this developing situation the United States is trying to carry out an operation to organize the next color revolution [a regime change attempt] in Venezuela,” the deputy chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the upper house of parliament, Andrei Klimov, told the state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
“I do not think that we can recognize this — it is, in essence, a coup,” another committee member, Vladimir Dzhabrailov, was quoted as saying by the agency Interfax.
Pro-opposition sources speculate that security forces opened live fire on protesters, but no evidence has been provided so far:
#Caracas Plaza Madariaga. 1 hombre detenido por la GNB, bombas lacrimógenas y perdigones cuando personas intentaban concentrarse en la plaza. Video @luisgonzaloprz @NTN24ve pic.twitter.com/veSE4XBSJN
— Roman Camacho (@RCamachoVzla) January 23, 2019
#Update: Military is shooting Warning shots fired at protestors at the Highway in #Caracas in #Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/TcxUz0HYTe
— Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) January 23, 2019
