Opposition leader Guaido -- who declared himself president last week in a challenge to incumbent Nicolás Maduro -- called on his supporters to take to the streets as the court's chief justice announced the restrictions on Twitter late Tuesday.
The political crisis gripping the country deepened as Guaido urged protesters to demand that the powerful Venezuela military sides with the opposition. Venezuela army defectors have also made a plea to the United States to supply weapons and move the opposition forward.
Earlier Tuesday, the country's attorney general announced that Guaido -- leader of the democratically elected Venezuelan National Assembly -- was under investigation, despite the fact that members of parliament are typically immune from prosecution.
Guaido has yet to formally respond to the attorney general's investigation or the Supreme Court action.
US National Security Adviser John Bolton warned Venezuelan authorities against taking further action targeting Guaido, who Washington recognizes as the legitimate president of the country. Bolton said there would be "serious consequences" if any harm came to Guaido.
Russia, meanwhile, praised President Maduro's "openness to dialogue," after the embattled leader said he was willing to sit down with his country's opposition.
Maduro previously said he was ready to talk to the opposition -- but ruled out new presidential elections until 2025, according to excerpts of an interview published by Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti Wednesday.
Maduro was re-elected to a six-year term last year, and though he claimed the elections were fair, international observers have questioned their legitimacy.
Severe economic strife puts pressure on Maduro
Guaido declared himself president following deadly protests against Maduro, who has presided over one of the most severe economic collapses in recent memory despite the fact that Venezuela boasts the world's biggest oil reserves. Many of the demonstrators who spoke to CNN said they were driven by hunger.
At least 40 Venezuelans have died in the recent protests and more than 800 have been detained, the United Nations Human Rights Office said Tuesday. CNN cannot independently verify the death toll and no official figures have been released by Maduro's government.
Maduro has accused Guaido and US President Donald Trump of plotting a coup to oust him from power.
In a series of messages posted to social media Wednesday, Maduro appealed directly to US citizens, asking them to stop the Trump administration from turning Venezuela into "a Vietnam in Latin America." He also accused Washington of targeting Venezuela in an attempt to steal the country's oil wealth.
"We are a people of peace, with a solid democracy," Maduro said. "I want to have respectful relations with all the United States ... I ask for peace and respect."
Maduro blames the US for the acute food shortages, soaring unemployment and massive hyperinflation that has wiped out savings in his country.
But economists point to years of economic mismanagement as the more likely cause. Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, funded huge and ultimately unsustainable social welfare programs and price-control policies in an effort to steer the country toward socialism, locking up political opponents and stamping out the opposition in the process.
World players weigh in
Guaido's administration has called on the international community to lend its support to help end Maduro's dictatorship, establish a transitional government and hold democratic elections as soon as possible.
The White House has been one of Guaido's most vocal supporters since the crisis began, alongside a handful of democracies throughout Europe and Latin America.
China -- Venezuela's most important creditor -- and Russia and Turkey are among those standing behind Maduro.
On Monday, the White House significantly stepped up its attempts to squeeze Maduro by going after Caracas' most valuable asset: its oil wealth, with sanctions against Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.
The Trump administration has not ruled out any options to deal with the crisis, including military action -- speculation fueled in part after Bolton was seen Monday carrying a yellow legal pad inscribed with the words "5000 troops to Colombia."
It's unclear if that was a slip-up or a Machiavellian ploy to intimidate the Maduro regime. In any case, Colombia's foreign minister said in a statement Monday that he was unaware of the thinking behind Bolton's notes.
The story has been updated to correct the spelling of Juan Guaido's name.
No comments:
Post a Comment