Venezuelan Armed Forces support the President of the country Nicolás Maduro, but not Juan Guaidó, the self-proclaimed acting head of state, the President of the National Assembly (parliament) and an oppositionist, as Vladimir Padrino López, Defence Minister of the country, said, Interfax reported.
The Minister assured that the army would “protect the constitution of the country and provide sovereignty” and would not recognize the president, “who is being ”imposed to protect the dark interests, the one who is self-proclaimed and illegal”.
On Wednesday, January 23, the opposition leader and the Head of the National Assembly of Venezuela proclaimed himself a temporary President and took an oath before thousands of opposition followers.
Reports from Valencia, Venezuela say that Carabobo Police forces joined protesters in the Bolivar Avenue. #23ene #venezuela #GritemosConBrio pic.twitter.com/IEfNK5yRhq
— Amir Richani (@amir_richani) January 23, 2019
He decided to do this on the day when mass rallies against the Head of the State Nicolás Maduro were held in the capital and other cities in Venezuela.
The U.S. President Donald Trump has recognized Juan Guaidó as a temporary leader of the country. Canada, EU, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Costa-Rika, Paraguay and Guatemala did so as well.
Mexico and Bolivia refused to recognize the “coup d’etat”.
