Venezuela's Guaido says he will return home Monday after Latin American tour

By Angus Berwick and Yury Garcia

 

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who many nations have recognized as the country's rightful interim ruler, gestures after a meeting with Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno (not pictured) in Salinas, Ecuador March 2, 2019. REUTERS/Daniel Tapia

 

CARACAS/SALINAS, Ecuador (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Sunday he would return home to lead new protests against President Nicolas Maduro on Monday, running the risk authorities arrest him given that he flouted a travel ban to leave the country last week.

 

Guaido left Ecuador earlier on Sunday after spending the past few days touring Latin American nations to muster support, but he did not disclose where he had gone next or how he planned to return to Venezuela.

 

Guaido, who is recognised as Venezuela's legitimate head of state by most Western countries, left the country last week to coordinate efforts in Colombia to send humanitarian aid into Venezuela.

 

But troops loyal to Maduro blocked convoys of aid trucks sent from Colombia and Brazil, leading to clashes that left at least five people dead along the Brazilian border.

 

Guaido said during a broadcast on Twitter on Sunday it would be a "historic challenge" to return. He has called for new protests on Monday and Tuesday during the Carnival holiday period.

 

"If the regime dares, of course, to kidnap us, it will be the last mistake they make," he said.

 

After travelling to Colombia, Guaido visited Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Ecuador to shore up Latin American support for a transition government that would precede free and fair elections.

 

He had flown to the Ecuadorean port city of Guayaquil after meeting with Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno in the coastal town of Salinas on Saturday. To arrive in Caracas by Monday morning, he could take commercial flights from Bogota or Panama City.

 

The Venezuelan Supreme Court imposed the travel ban after he invoked the country's constitution on Jan. 23 to assume an interim presidency. Maduro, who retains control of state institutions, says Guaido is trying to foment a U.S.-backed coup against him.

 

The United States on Friday ramped up its attempt to dislodge Maduro from power by imposing new sanctions and revoking visas.

 

(Reporting by Yury Garcia in Salinas and Angus Berwick in Caracas; Additional reporting by Alexandra Valencia in Quito and Deisy Buitrago in Caracas; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-04

Another job for the jackal. 

wouldn't want to be this dude's body guard flying around S.A...

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The Venezuelan Supreme Court imposed the travel ban after he invoked the country's constitution on Jan. 23 to assume an interim presidency.

Under Article 233 of the Constitution Guaido as President of the National Assembly cannot invoke the constitution to assume interim Presidency of Venezuela except -

"When an elected President becomes permanently unavailable to serve prior to his inauguration, a new election by universal suffrage and direct ballot shall be held within 30 consecutive days. Pending election and inauguration of the new President, the President of the National Assembly shall take charge of the Presidency of the Republic." 

https://venezuelanalysis.com/constitution/title/5

 

Obviously, Maduro has been available, was sworn in as President of the Republic after being elected and remains today actively involved in governing the nation. Trump, Bolton, Senator Rubio, etc. and US allies have it wrong identifying Guaido as president of the Republic!

 

In his defense of assuming the presidency of the Republic, Guaido claims it's legitimate because Maduro's re-election was fraudulent without proof. Furthermore, his claim is questionable as opposition parties to Maduro's re-election boycotted the election! If you don't participate in an election, how can you claim it's a fraud? Meanwhile, the Venezuelan military remains correctly compliant with the constitution in its recognition and support of Maduro as the legitimate president. If Guaido takes arms against Maduro to overthrow his government, it would be correctly called an insurrection. If any foreign power takes arms against Maduro to overthrow his government, it would be correctly called a coup. None of which resembles democracy.

 

 

Arrest him for sedition when he shows up.