U.S. Recognizes Venezuelan Opposition Leader as Interim President National Assembly head Juan Guaidó’s declaration follows demonstrations marking biggest show of opposition against Nicolás Maduro since 2017 crackdown; a challenge to Russia, China
Posted By Ruth King on January 24th, 2019
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tens-of-thousands-protest-venezuelan-president-maduro-11548264274?mod=hp_lead_pos
By Maolis Castro in Caracas, Venezuela, and Juan Forero and Kejal Vyas in Bogotá, ColombiaPresident Trump took on Venezuela’s leftist authoritarian president and his regime’s Russian and Chinese backers on Wednesday by recognizing the opposition leader of the oil-rich country’s congress as its legitimate head of state.
The U.S. move came just minutes after Juan Guaidó, the National Assembly’s 35-year-old leader, declared himself interim president and took an oath of office before a crowd of tens of thousands in the capital.
President Nicolás Maduro responded by vowing to stay in office and said he was severing diplomatic relations with the U.S.
“The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out” against Mr. Maduro “and demanded freedom and the rule of law,” Mr. Trump said. He said he would “use the full weight of United States economic and diplomatic power to press for the restoration of Venezuelan democracy.”
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