The president of the disempowered parliament of Venezuela has declared himself head of state of the South American country. "Before the Almighty God I vow to use the powers of the executive as interim president of Venezuela," said Juan Guaidó on Wednesday at a rally to supporters in the capital Caracas.
The opposition around the president of the disempowered parliament, Juan Guaido, wants to overthrow the socialist president Nicolás Maduro, who after his alleged manipulation allegations re-election on 10 January has begun a second term. International protests followed, with numerous states and international organizations calling reelection undemocratic.
Guaidó called on the armed forces to take sides with the government opponents
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets on both sides in the morning in the Venezuelan capital Caracas.
The demonstrators showed banners reading "We are free" on Wednesday, chanting "They will overthrow, they will overthrow, this government will overthrow". Maduro's supporters had also called for a mass rally. January 23 is a symbolic date for the country because that day in 1958 the last Venezuelan dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez was overthrown.
Guaidó called on the armed forces to take sides with the government opponents. Many states, international organizations and the opposition no longer recognize Maduro as the rightful head of state. His re-election last year, according to observers, was not under free and fair conditions.
The US government supports the Venezuelan opposition. "The Venezuelan crisis will worsen until democracy is restored," US Vice President Mike Pence wrote in a guest post for the Wall Street Journal: "Nicolás Maduro Must Go."