the President of The disempowered Parliament of Venezuela has declared himself head of state. “Before the Almighty God, I vow to take on the powers of the Executive as interim President of Venezuela,” said Juan Guaidó at a rally in Caracas.

President Nicolas Maduro had two weeks ago for his second term swearing in. Numerous States, international organizations and the Opposition do not recognise him as a legitimate President, because elections in the past year, met democratic Standards.

The U.S. government is supporting the Venezuelan Opposition. US President, Donald Trump, recognized because Guaidó already as the legitimate interim President of the South American country, such as the shared White house announced on Wednesday.

mass demonstrations

tens of thousands of people were on Wednesday throughout the country against the socialist government on the streets. The protesters showed banners with the inscription “We are free” and chanted “you will fall, you will fall, this government will fall”.

The police used tear gas grenades and rubber bullets fired into the crowd. Masked demonstrators hurled stones at the officers. According to media, several protesters were taken to report. Also Maduro’s supporters took to the streets to support the government.

of The 23. January is a symbolic date for the country, because on this day in 1958, the then Venezuelan dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez was overthrown. Guaidó called on the armed forces, to stand on the side of the opponents of the government.

“I’m a Survivor, not a victim”

For Maduro is the leader of the opposition Guaidó only a “Kid policy”. But the 35-year-old President could be the to the left nationalist head of state is quite dangerous: Within a few weeks Guaidó to the new face of the weakened and divided Opposition in the South American country and has started a new course of confrontation against Maduro. To the big rallies against the President on Wednesday, he called.

Until recently, Guaidó in Venezuela was still completely unknown. At the beginning of January the tall Deputy of the right-wing opposition party Voluntad Popular (people’s will) was then elected President by the Opposition-dominated and Maduro disempowered the national Assembly. Practically overnight, he took over from hapless opposition leaders such as Leopoldo López and Freddy Guevara: López sits in house arrest, Guevara has taken refuge in the Chilean Embassy in Caracas.

Guaidó, however, shows no fear: “I’m a Survivor, not a victim,” says the married father of a daughter about a natural disaster in his home state of Vargas in December 1999, with thousands dead. Also Guaidó, his mother and his brothers and sisters were affected. “I know what it means to be hungry,” says Guaidó also with a view to the disastrous economic situation in his country.

in advance of the opposition had declared that it politicians willing to take on the leadership of a “transitional government” and to hold elections. The Opposition-controlled national Assembly, he has to refer to Maduro due to his controversial re-election in may officially as a “usurper” and to decide on an Amnesty for insurgents.

The Supreme court cancelled the decisions, however. All decisions of the national Assembly were “null and void”, declared the court, which is considered loyal to the government and the authority of Parliament does not recognise.

in addition to the judiciary, the military leadership is so far behind Maduro. Guaidó not appealed to the knowing of the armed forces, to participate actively in the “restore the Constitution” in Venezuela – well, that is a fall of the left-wing heads of state would be without the powerful military.

(mac/sda/afp)

Created: 23.01.2019, 19:23 PM