Maduro asked the Venezuelans to arm themselves: "If you want freedom, prepare to defend it"

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has today led a "counter-march" against the opposition-led demonstration, Juan Guaidó. The president called to start with "civic-military exercises". And he said, "If you want freedom, prepare to defend it."

This is Maduro's first public reaction after a senior Venezuelan army officer turned his back on him and publicly announced that he was supporting Guaidó. This was not any desertion: he did it in public and said that a good part of the armed forces was with Guaidó.

That is why, on the twentieth anniversary of Chavez's inauguration, Maduro led a march in which he proclaimed the failure of the "coup d'etat" which he attributes to self-proclaimed President Guaidó and the United States .

"The coup d'etat failed and they do not want to be accountable," Maduro said at an important "chavismo" on the iconic Bolívar Avenue in Caracas.

In addition, in response to Guaidó 's calls for rebellion of the army, despite the desertion of today, the president said that the army was loyal to him. "The Bolivarian National Armed Forces are becoming more loyal, more attached to the command than I have as national commander, and the Bolivarian National Armed Forces are united to the people with regard to the Constitution," he points out.

Maduro also spoke of opposing offers of humanitarian aid aimed at alleviating the crisis affecting the population. "It's time to look for solutions, Venezuela is not a beggar, we do not need help from anyone," he said.

Maduro made the remarks at a crowded "chavismo" rally organized on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Hugo Chávez's first oath of office to the presidency of Venezuela. The opposition also organized a mbadive mobilization this Saturday in Caracas.

News in development being updated.