The opposition leader of Venezuela, Juan Guaido, draws up the road map of democracy



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In an article published Thursday in the New York Times, the opposition leader acknowledged that any transition of power could not take place without "the support of major military contingents" and said that his administration had "secret meetings" with members of the armed forces and armed forces ". security forces."

He did not specify who these soldiers were.

"The withdrawal of the army's support of Mr. Maduro by the army is crucial to enabling a change of government, and the majority of those on duty agree that the country's recent setbacks are unsustainable, "he wrote.

The defectors of the Venezuelan army have also called on the United States to provide weapons and to advance the opposition in recent days.

Guaido defined Maduro's direct political challenge as a struggle for "freedom", saying "the survival of our democracy is at stake".

"Mr. Maduro's time is almost up, but to manage his exit with the minimum of bloodshed, all Venezuela must unite to demand the final end of his regime," he said. he writes.

To this end, the opposition leader has established a road map for democracy, which includes the end of the Maduro dictatorship, the establishment of a transitional government and the holding of democratic elections.

The president of the opposition National Assembly, Juan Guaido, addresses reporters in Caracas, Venezuela on Wednesday, January 30, 2019.
Maduro was re-elected for a six-year term last year and, although he said the elections were fair, international observers questioned their legitimacy.

Guaido called his reelection "illegitimate" and by staying in office, Maduro "usurped the presidency". Guaido defended his political challenge in accordance with the Constitution, claiming that in his capacity as chairman of the democratically elected National Assembly, he had the power to hold the position of interim president, "s & # 39; 39, there is no president elected at the beginning of his term ".

New protests broke out Wednesday in Venezuela following the decision of the country's highest court to freeze bank accounts and impose a travel ban on Guaido.

The Attorney General of Venezuela announced Tuesday that Guaido was under investigation, despite the fact that MPs are sheltered from prosecution. Guaido has not formally responded to the Attorney General's investigation or to the court's action.

An opposition protester covers his face with a Venezuelan national flag during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro on January 30, 2019.

American support

The fact that Guaido chose to write his editorial in an American newspaper shows the importance he attaches to strengthening his international support and, in addition, American support for his cause.

The Trump administration is one of Guaido's most virulent supporters since the beginning of the crisis, alongside a handful of democracies from Europe and Latin America. The Leader of the Opposition thanked Trump via Twitter for calling to reiterate his "full support for our democratic work, commitment to humanitarian aid and recognition by our administration of our (interim) presidency ".

The White House said two men agreed "to maintain regular communication to support Venezuela's return to stability and restore bilateral relations between the United States and Venezuela."

Guaido-appointed US diplomat Carlos Vecchio met with US officials this week. After meeting with members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, he told the press that he was not asking for US military support.

"We came here to present a very clear program at the international level," said Vecchio. "We want to end the usurpation of Nicolas Maduro's power, establish a transitional government and demand free and transparent elections as soon as possible."

The chairman of the committee, Jim Risch, said that he thought Guaido "had a legitimate and nonviolent plan" to stabilize the situation in Venezuela.

But on Wednesday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton warned the Venezuelan authorities against any further action against Guaido, which Washington recognizes as the legitimate president. Bolton said that there would be "serious consequences" if any harm came to Guaido.

"A Vietnam in Latin America"

In a series of posts posted on social media Wednesday, Maduro directly called on US citizens to stop the Trump government from turning Venezuela into "a Vietnam in Latin America."

"We are a people of peace, endowed with a solid democracy," Maduro said. "I want to have respectful relations with all the United States (…) I ask for peace and respect."

Maduro had previously stated that he was ready to speak to the opposition but had ruled out holding new presidential elections until 2025, according to excerpts from an interview published by the US government. Russian official news agency RIA Novosti.

Maduro, who presided over a mbadive economic collapse despite Venezuela's world's largest oil reserves, also accused Washington of targeting its country to steal its oil wealth.

Previously, he had blamed Washington for the severe food shortages, rising unemployment and mbadive hyperinflation that wiped out savings.

But economists point out that years of economic mismanagement are the most likely cause. Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, have funded mbadive welfare and price control programs aimed at leading the country towards socialism, blocking political opponents and eliminating opposition.

In his editorial, Guaido denounced the "severe shortages of medicines and food" and the collapse of "critical infrastructure and health systems" in Venezuela, which saw "a growing number of children suffering from malnutrition".

"Mr. Maduro no longer has the support of the people," he said.

CNN's Stefano Pozzebon was reported in Caracas and Helen Regan wrote in Hong Kong. CNN's Josh Berlinger, Hande Atay Alam, Mitchell McCluskey, Sheena McKenzie, Mary Ilyushina, Nathan Hodge, Nick Paton Walsh, Ray Sanchez, Saskya Vandoorne, Claudia Rebaza, Duarte Mendonca and Samantha Beech also contributed to this report.

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