Venezuelan oppositon leader Juan Guaidó. Photo: One News Page

By THE PULSE NEWS MEXICO STAFF    

Venezuelan opposite leader Juan Guaidó proclaimed himself interim president during a public speech on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

The 35-year-old industrial engineer is president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, which has opposed the reinstatement of Nicolás Maduro and consider his reelection last to be fraudulent and invalid.

Maduro began  his second term on Jan. 11 after a highly disputed elections.

During his speech, Guaidó called on Venezuela’s army to abandon their support of Maduro, who has in the last few months imprisoned nearly 160 members of the military and dismissed more than 3,000 of them, to join him in helping to create a transition government similar to that of Chile.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has been supportive of Maduro, despite condemnation by the Lima Group earlier this month, and his government has stated that it will continue to recognize  Maduro, “for now.”

During the previous administration of President Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico also condemned Maduro.

U.S. President Donald Trump immediately recognized Guaidó as president of Venezuela.

In retaliation, Maduro officially cut off ties with the United States and ordered all U.S. Embassy personnel out of the country within 72 hours.

The United States responded by stating that it does not recognize Maduro’s authority and will not recall its diplomats.

Canada, Columbia and Brazil also recognized Guaidó as Venezuela’s president.