After over a week a cajoling from the US State Department, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has declared himself the interim president of Venezuela. President Trump almost immediately followed this with a formal recognition of the change.
The 35-year-old Guaido is head of the National Assembly, and says he
feels the need to step in during the chaos surrounding President
Maduro’s recent swearing in to a second term in office.
Maduro is, unsurprisingly, not taking this move well. He has not only
not recognized the decision to remove him from power, but has also
announced he is cutting all diplomatic ties with the United States. He announced that US diplomatic personnel have 72 hours to leave Venezuela.
President Trump has made removing Maduro from power a long-standing
priority, at times urging a military coup, at times suggesting that the
US might invade outright. The Trump Administration is reportedly
considering imposing new oil sanctions on Venezuela this week if Maduro doesn’t leave power.
US Recognizes Opposition Leader as New Venezuelan President
Venezuelan govt gives US diplomats 72 hours to leave the country
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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