Venezuelan opposition postpones vote to end Juan Guaidó’s leadership role
The Venezuelan opposition has postponed until Tuesday a vote to end the leadership role of Juan Guaidó, who is recognized by the U.S. and other countries as the legitimate president of the South American country.
The vote, originally scheduled for this Thursday, was delayed upon the request of a number of opposition leaders seeking to reach a consensus before ending Guaidó’s so-called interim government, which despite having no control over the territory or the state’s institution is recognized by part of the international community.
Guaidó, who also is the president of the opposition-led National Assembly, said the deferment was necessary in order to reach a general understanding of what the next steps should be.
The move against Guidó is supported by more than two thirds of the 112 deputies who originally appointed him as interim president of Venezuela after declaring that president Nicolas Maduro was illegally holding power after committing massive fraud during the 2018 presidential election.
Three of the country’s four main opposition parties are behind the initiative to dismantle the interim government, saying that the political platform has outlived its usefulness. Others disagree, however, claiming that it would only serve to strengthen the Maduro regime and its efforts to regain control of Venezuela’s assets abroad, including U.S. refinery Citgo and about $1 billion in gold reserves held by the Bank of England.
This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 10:59 AM.
