In the middle of opposite marches, Guaidó asked the army to rebel against Maduro

Thousands of Venezuelan opponents, led by self-proclaimed interim President Juan Guaidó, today called for the streets to let the military go into humanitarian aid and to ignore President Nicolás Maduro, who called to remain united and loyal. "Do not shoot at a people who also claims for your family, it's an order, soldier of the homeland (…) Enough! They thought that they would generate fear, but we are at 5,000 points "of the country, said Guaidó, in a demonstration at the Central University in Caracas.

In the midst of a tumult of journalists and supporters, Guaidó, clad in a medical gown, walked with patients and nurses: "We have come together with a powerful majority that can change the country", did he declare. "Guaidó has arrived and hope is back," sang his supporters. "La Fuerza Armada regains your dignity", "Maduro usurpador", prayers of demonstrators in various regions of the country, ringing cornets, whistles and pots. Guaidó, chairman of the opposition-based parliament, also said that he had received "full support" from US President Donald Trump, who had called him on the phone.

Previously, Maduro had ordered military maneuvers at Fort Tiuna, the largest military complex in Caracas, where he denounced the fact that "mercenary deserters" had asked Colombia to fracture the armed forces. "Monolithic unity! Maximum morale! I call the armed forces (…) to a great renovation, to a great military revolution of morality," Maduro said to about 2,500 soldiers.

Although the military leaders have described the operation as "deception," the opposition leader is keen to offer an amnesty to military members who collaborate during the transition and seek to break the support of Maduro, the Armed Forces. Washington, which does not rule out an armed action in Venezuela, called on the military to support the transition. In this impulse, Maduro directs several official acts. "Do you want me to lead a puppet of gringos in Venezuela?" He asked at a rally: "Noooooooo!", They replied.

"We die"
With a Venezuelan flag, in Plaza Altamira, in Chacao (east), Jaime Regalado asked the army "to let in the humanitarian aid and put oneself on the side of the population". "We are working to ensure that humanitarian aid arrives as soon as possible, an international coalition will be formed to deal with the emergency," Guaidó said at the demonstration.

The socialist president considers humanitarian aid as a gateway to US military intervention and attributes this scarcity to US sanctions. "Maduro is dissociated from reality, does not recognize the urgency," said the opposition. Washington has said it has $ 20 million to deliver, in food and medicine, whose severe shortage is overwhelming Venezuelans and has caused an estimated 2.3 million people to migrate since 2015 according to the US government. UN.

"I have a bacterium and I can not find the drugs (…) we Venezuelans are dying," said 22-year-old AFP Javier, who brandished a mask during a demonstration in front of a hospital located in the center of the city. Caracas. The fear of violence resurfaced at every demonstration. The riots that broke out on 21 January killed about 40 people and over 850 detainees. Two waves of protests in 2014 and 2017 resulted in about 200 deaths.

Moreover, in an interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Maduro thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support and said that "every month, Venezuela receives Russian weapons," the most modern in the world " The United States approved sanctions against the national oil company PDVSA, source of 96% of the country's revenue, and froze Venezuelan accounts and badets, which were handed over to Guaidó. tension, oil prices rose Wednesday.

Maduro counterattacked Tuesday with the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), an official line that banned Guaidó from leaving the country and froze his accounts. "It does not prevent me from sleeping, we do not want to leave the country, we want people to come back," said the parliamentary leader. John Bolton, Trump's national security advisor, reiterated that any attempt to "harm" Guaidó would have "serious consequences".

Opposition and Chaviste
Guaidó's offensive will continue with a "big march" on Saturday, when 20 years have pbaded since the "Bolivarian revolution" founded by the late Socialist leader Hugo Chávez (1999-2013). "We are going to warm up our arms to defend the country, preparing new battles and victories," he told a Chavisme number two rally, Diosdado Cabello, calling on Chavistas to demonstrate Saturday. .

The opposition march will support, according to Guaidó, the deadline set for Sunday in Maduro by several European countries to accept "free elections" on pain of recognizing opposition to the post of president in charge. The French government regretted Wednesday that the Socialist leader has not yet responded. Maduro told RIA Novosti not to want to hold presidential elections, but said that a parliamentary advance – halted by 2020 – would be "a good solution" to the crisis.

Guaidó autojuramentado after the Congress declared that Maduro "usurper" had chosen, on January 10, a second illegitimate mandate – like a great part of the international community – like the result of "fraudulent" elections. Although their decisions were considered null and void by the TSJ, which declared it contemptuous, the Congress appointed ambbadadors in a dozen countries that recognized Guaidó. Maduro said that he was willing to meet Guaidó and even to Trump. Guaidó said Wednesday be ready to do it whenever the goal is to stop the usurpation.