How did the secret dialogue with which the international support coalition to Juan Guaidó against Nicolás Maduro's regime unfold?

The coalition of Latin American governments that joined the United States to quickly recognize Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela was consolidated during weeks of secret diplomacy including clandestine messages to militants under constant surveillance and a high-risk foreign trip undertaken by the opposition leader who is challenging Nicolás Maduro's regime, said several protagonists.

Mid-DecemberGuaidó has quietly traveled to Washington, DC and Brazil to discuss with leaders of the opposition's strategy of organizing large-scale demonstrations around the swearing-in of Nicolás Maduro on January 10, for a second term of six years despite international convictions.said the former mayor of Caracas Antonio Ledezma, ally of the opposition currently exiled in Spain.

Guaidó left Venezuela by land to go to Colombia in order not to attract the attention of immigration agents They sometimes harbad opposition leaders at airports and prevent them from going abroad, said another opposition leader who requested anonymity to discuss the measures to security.

Building consensus in a fragmented anti-government coalition has been difficult. The opposition has been divided for years not only by its protagonism and strategy, but also by government repression that has forced many leaders into exile, making it impossible to hold meetings in person.

Others in Venezuela were under strict surveillance of the intelligence services and everyone was afraid of making a mistake that would alert the government.

The long sessions of sending SMS have become normal, said the opposition leader. A US official said intermediaries were used to sending messages to Leopoldo López, Opposition's influential leader and Guaidó's political mentor, still under house arrest since his unsuccessful attempt to direct a move against Maduro in 2014. The US official has requested anonymity as a security measure.

Although at a meeting held in December in Bogotá, Guaidó He announced to them his intention to proclaim himself acting president at a demonstration that would meet on 23 January. (anniversary of the overthrow of a military dictatorship in 1958 in Venezuela), the suspense lasted until a few hours before its proclamation, declared a Latin American diplomat from the Lima group He also asked to remain anonymous because he was not allowed to speak with reporters.

Some moderate factions are lagging behind or prefer to move more slowly, fearing that a bold decision will provoke a new failure for the opposition. In the end, the differences reconciled without being revealed.

"It's the first time in at least five years that the opposition has demonstrated its ability to clump importantly"said a senior Canadian official who asked to keep his name in reserve for not having permission to speak to reporters.

The decision to confront Maduro directly this was only possible thanks to the firm support of the Donald Trump government, which brought a group of conservative governments from Latin America to recognize Guaidó.

It was not an easy task, due to US mistrust in Latin America after US military interventions during the Cold War. The Front's policy generated bipartisan support: two prominent Democratic senators such as Bob Menéndez and Dick Durbin expressed their support.

The key moment was when Trump said in August 2017, since his golf course in New Jersey, that "the military option" was on the table to respond to the Venezuelan crisis.

Next month, Trump criticized Maduro during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly and consulted with Latin American aides and leaders about the possibility of a military invasion.

The nations of the hemisphere understood that they had in the United Statesn president eager to face a crisis that previous governments had downplayed because of its limited implications for US national security, said Fernando Cutz, former senior security adviser to US presidents Barack Obama and Trump.

For some, such as Mexico, which renegotiated the trade treaty with the United States and Canada, adopting a more bellicose stance has been an opportunity to improve its bilateral relations with Washington.

"Trump has personally unleashed a lot of that"said Cutz, currently employed by the lobbying company Cohen Group. "In each of his conversations with Latin American leaders since his accession to the presidency, he mentions Venezuela, which has generated many opinions," he added.

On January 4, one day before Guaidó took the presidency of the National Assembly,Foreign Ministers from 13 countries of the Lima group said they would not recognize Maduro's second six-year term. The announcement put the White House on the run for not to be outdone, said a former US official and a legislative badistant in close contact with the team of national security advisers. Both asked for anonymity because they were not allowed to comment on Trump government projects.

Canada played a leading role. Chancellor Chrystia Freeland spoke to Guaidó the night before Maduro took office and offered her government support to confront the socialist leader, a Canadian official said. They were also very active in Peru, Brazil with his new right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, and Colombia.which shares a border with Venezuela and currently houses at least two million refugees.

By Joshua Goodman, Luis Alonso Lugo and Rob Gillies – Associated Press