The disempowered Venezuelan parliament has accused President Nicolás Maduro of unlawful seizure of power. The constitutional order must be restored, said the opposition president of the National Assembly Juan Guaidó.
Maduro was sworn in for a second term last Thursday despite international protests. Against his re-election in May 2018 massive allegations of manipulation were raised. The Organization of American States (OAS) does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate president. The US and the EU called on the head of state to return to democracy.
The opposition leader and parliamentary president Juan Guaidó has now entered an open resistance to head of state Maduro. Guaidó had already stated last week that he was ready to temporarily take over the presidency and call new elections if he could count on the support of the people, the armed forces and the international community.
US President Trump appears to be on the side of the opposition
US President Donald Trump is considering recognizing opposition leader Guaidó as the country's rightful president, as CNN's Spanish website reported, citing several insiders. The US Presidential Office was initially not reach for an opinion.
Venezuela has fallen into a severe economic crisis under Maduro's left-wing government. The country is suffering from inflation of 200,000 percent and a lack of staple foods and medicines. The difficult situation has led to a mass exodus to neighboring countries.
Maduro blames the situation for a US-led economic war that aims to overthrow it. The United States has imposed multiple sanctions on Venezuela since 2017. However, critics see the development as being due to incompetence of the government, non-functioning currency controls and corruption