Venezuela explodes: hundreds of Maduro fans are concentrated

Hundreds of supporters of President Nicolás Maduro gathered in front of the presidential palace, where members of the security forces are stationed on the wall.

Maduro Loyalists chant supportive slogans and a man from a truck distributes large posters with the president's photo and the Venezuelan flag behind.

The protest follows a call by opposition leader Juan Guaidó for a military and civil uprising against Maduro.

___

10:50

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said that the United States had probably paid a guard to allow opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez to escape home detention. , in order to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro.

Arreaza said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press that Maduro was monitoring events from Central Command and that the uprising would be under control soon.

But he says that the thousands of supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaidó, concentrated in the east of Caracas, will not be able to break the loyalty of the armed forces in Maduro.

Lopez appeared in Caracas with Guaidó and several rebel soldiers. The two men called for a military uprising. US officials issued a statement of support.

___

10:25

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said the leaders of the armed forces have badured him of their loyalty to the call by opposition leader Juan Guaidó to a military uprising.

In a tweet Tuesday, Maduro calls "the maximum popular mobilization to ensure the victory of La Paz".

Guaidó appeared in the streets accompanied by some soldiers, but until now, nothing suggests a wider uprising of the armed forces.

___

10:15

US Vice President Mike Pence said, "We are with you!" Venezuelans who took to the streets at the call of the leader of the opposition, Juan Guaidó, asked the army to stand up and overthrow President Nicolás Maduro.

Pence said in a tweet addressed to Guaidó, to the National Assembly and to "all Venezuelans who are in love with freedom who go down to the streets today in (hash) operacionlibertad_We are with you! We are with you!"

He adds that the United States "will be with you until the restoration of freedom and democracy".

The United States and dozens of countries have recognized Guaidó as the legitimate ruler of Venezuela, arguing that Maduro's reelection was invalid.

Maduro accused the United States of supporting a "coup d'etat" in the country.

___

9:50

The White House said it "was watching and waiting" for the situation in Venezuela to unfold in the hope that the result will be democracy.

Councilwoman Kellyanne Conway said the White House was backing opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognized by the United States as acting president. Guaidó invaded the streets of Caracas and called for a military uprising.

Conway said it was time for the socialist Nicolás Maduro to leave the scene and for the United States to promote a "peaceful transition of power."

Earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that President Donald Trump's government supported Guaidó's call for a military uprising.

Pompeo tweeted that the United States "fully supported" Guaidó's call to launch "Operation Libertad".

___

9:26

The government of Argentine President Mauricio Macri supports the "spirit of freedom" of the Venezuelan people so that "democracy reigns again" in the Caribbean country, said Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie on his Twitter account.

Faurie also said that "Argentina salutes with hope" the release of the leader of the opposition Leopoldo Lopez in Venezuela, "carried out by soldiers in obedience to the president in charge," Juan Guaidó.

Opposition leader Juan Guaidó called on Venezuelans to take to the streets to overthrow Nicolás Maduro.

Argentina follows closely the events about the revolt against the Maduro government, according to the official.

Macri, a conservative who came to power in late 2015, is one of Maduro's most critical leaders in the region.

___

9:20

Writer Mario Vargas Llosa supports the self-proclaimed Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó and the military who "have proposed to end the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro".

In a statement from Madrid, where he resides, the Nobel Prize for Peruvian literature asked the international community to support the opposition "who, in these difficult times, is fighting … to begin the definitive transition to a regime of legality, full freedom and legality ".

___

9:11

The Spanish Foreign Minister said the events in Venezuela were the "worst scenario we can imagine" because of the possibility of violent clashes in the country.

Josep Borrell said on Tuesday after opposition leader Juan Guaidó called on Venezuelans to take to the streets to overthrow Nicolás Maduro.

The Spanish government, which plays a crucial role in shaping the European Union's policy towards Venezuela, said it was rejecting the coup of the military state and supported the efforts of the opposition towards a peaceful transition to the presidential elections.

After calling on all sectors to avoid bloodshed, Borrell said that "unfortunately, the information we have available does not allow us to hope that there will be no problem." clash between military units or supporters of Guaidó or Maduro ".

Spain has recognized Guaidó as interim president, but has not broken off relations with the Maduro government.

___

8:55

Bolivia and Cuba, the governments allied with President Nicolás Maduro, condemned the "coup d'état" attempt after opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for a military uprising in Venezuela.

Bolivian President Evo Morales and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez have sent messages on Twitter to support Maduro, who has not spoken so far.

"We call on the governments of Latin America to condemn the coup d'etat in Venezuela and to prevent violence from making innocent victims." This would be a disastrous precedent for allowing the coup plotter to commit a coup d'etat. "Settling in the region." Dialogue and peace must be imposed, "Morales said on his Twitter account.

The Cuban Foreign Minister said that his country supports Maduro. "Stop the attacks at the peace of (hash) NuestraAmerica", indicated in the same social network.

Guaidó called the uprising from a military base in Caracas. Up to now, the scope of the summons is not clearly defined, while the Venezuelan government has stated that it maintains control of the armed forces.

___

8:30

Russian President Vladimir Putin is examining the ongoing military uprising in Venezuela with his main security agency.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that Putin had taken into account the events in Venezuela during his meeting with the Security Council.

Peskov said the meeting "paid particular attention to information regarding a coup attempt in this country".

He did not give more details.

___

7:30

The Spanish government promises a bloodless and peaceful transition to a democratic presidential election in Venezuela.

Spokeswoman Isabel Celaá said the government was closely following the events in Caracas, where the opposition, accompanied by heavily armed soldiers, called on Venezuelans to take to the streets to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro.

"We wish with all our strength that there is no bloodshed," said Celaá Tuesday during his usual meeting with the press. "We support a peaceful democratic process in Venezuela, we are betting on the immediate holding of elections for the election of a new president."

Spain has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president, but has not severed relations with the Maduro government.

More than 177,000 Spaniards live in Venezuela and Spain has become a destination for thousands of Venezuelans who have fled the political and economic crisis of recent years.

___

7:10

Venezuelan Socialist Party leader Diosdado Cabello calls on government supporters to gather in front of the presidential palace to defend President Nicolás Maduro from what he calls a small uprising of US-backed soldiers .

He made these statements on public television after opposition leader Juan Guaidó took to the streets with a small contingent of heavily armed soldiers, accompanied by the arrested militant, Leopoldo López, at the same time. a military uprising.

Lopez called on Venezuelans to go out on the streets "in peace" to overthrow Maduro.

Cabello downplayed the importance of the uprising, said that calm prevailed in Caracas and that La Carlota air base, where rebel soldiers were concentrated, was not attacked.

___

6:50

The leader of the opposition, Juan Guaidó, took to the streets with a small contingent of heavily armed soldiers, accompanied by the activist arrested Leopoldo Lopez, during a military uprising.

During his first public appearance since his arrest in 2014 for organizing demonstrations against the government, Mr. Lopez said it was time for all Venezuelans, whether they were in uniform or not, and he asked everyone to go down the street "in peace".

Lopez made the remarks shortly after the broadcast, early in the morning, of a video in which Guaidó appears on an air base in Caracas surrounded by heavily armed soldiers and armored vehicles.

AP SOURCE