Protestors clashed with police on the streets of Caracas on Tuesday night, motivated by Venezuelan Opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s exhortation to the military to rise against the rule of President Nicolás Maduro. Guaidó named it “Operation Liberty”, and enlisted the support of some Army officers and soldiers, Today Venezuela reported.
The police used tear gas and water cannons against the crowd, and National Guard vehicles drove into crowds of stone-pelting demonstrators. Tens of thousands of demonstrators occupied the streets of the national capital. Guaidó has called for fresh protests on Wednesday.
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said earlier on Tuesday that Maduro was ready to leave Venezuela for Cuba, but had been convinced against it by Russia.
However, Maduro claimed that he had successfully defeated the coup attempt, AFP reported. The president, in a television address, congratulated the Army for defeating “this small group that intended to spread violence through putschist skirmishes”. “This will not go unpunished,” he added. “[We] will launch criminal prosecutions for the serious crimes that have been committed against the constitution, the rule of law and the right to peace.”
United States President Donald Trump said he was monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely. “The United States stands with the People of Venezuela and their Freedom!” he tweeted.
In another tweet, Trump warned Cuba, demanding that it immediately cease military operations in Venezuela, failing which an embargo and sanctions will be imposed on the country.
Guaidó had assumed the presidency in January after claiming that Maduro’s re-election in 2018 was fraudulent. Venezuela plunged into political turmoil after the United States endorsed Guaidó as president. Guaidó is the leader of the Opposition-led National Assembly, a body Maduro does not recognise. On January 23, Maduro cut diplomatic ties with the US and gave American diplomatic personnel 72 hours to leave the country. However, he later reversed the order.
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