The Venezuelan opponent Juan Guaido arrived at the Caracas International Airport on Monday, March 4, where a crowd of supporters and ambassadors from several European and Latin American countries were waiting, according to the broadcast live on television. He immediately launched a new call to demonstrate Saturday to maintain the pressure on the regime of Nicolas Maduro. Nicolas Maduro is the President of Venezuela since 2013.
“Saturday we continue! All Venezuela will end up on the street. We will not stay a minute or even a second quiet until we have found freedom, “he told the crowd. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido arrived Monday at midday at local Airport in Caracas, according to television footage.
The president of the National Assembly proclaimed himself acting president on January 23 and has been recognized by some fifty countries, but he faces arrest for braving a ban on leaving Venezuela. Sunday he confirmed his intention to return home “despite threats . ”
“We know the risks we run, it did not hold us back: we are here, stronger than ever! ” Said Juan Guaido before leaving the terminal in a dark suit and white shirt, smiling, standing on the roof of a car. At the same time as his plane landed in Caracas, US Vice President Mike Pence promised from Washington a “quick reaction” in case of “threats, violence or intimidation” against the opponent of 35 years. “The United States attaches the utmost importance to Juan Guaido’s return to Venezuela safely,” he wrote on Twitter.
Gatherings of thousands of supporters
“We are here as witnesses of democracy and freedom so that President Guaido can return,” said the French ambassador to Caracas, Romain Nadal, just before his arrival. “To ensure that the President of the National Assembly can return without incident in his country,” said the representative of Germany Daniel Kriener.
At the same time, thousands of opposition supporters dressed in white and armed with Venezuelan flags began to gather in the main cities of the country.
Venezuela has been going through a series of political turbulences for the past 40 days, in addition to a severe economic crisis marked by a 10 million percent inflation forecast by the IMF over the year, as well as shortages of commodities and medicines.
Nicolas Maduro has reiterated in recent days that as head of Parliament, his rival must “respect the law” , and that if Juan Guaido returned to the country, he should “report to justice” .
Since Juan Guaido proclaimed himself the acting president on January 23rd by calling Nicolas Maduro “usurper” , because of the suspicions of fraud hanging over his election to a second term, Juan Guaido leaned on the street and called for several demonstrations of support that left about 40 dead and hundreds wounded.