The Trump administration reaffirmed its support for Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaido after Nicolas Maduro attempted to halt his reelection vote.
On Sunday, Maduro’s forces attempted to shut down a vote by blocking Guaido from entering the assembly hall by claiming he was “disqualified” from holding public office in the country. While Guaido and his supporters were blocked outside, an opposition member, Luis Parra, declared himself president of the National Assembly, Venezuela’s legislative body.
Guaido responded to the chaos on Twitter, writing, “Whoever helps prevent the legitimate installation of the Venezuelan parliament becomes an accomplice of the dictatorship, and an accomplice of those who are oppressing the people of Venezuela.”
Hoy, quien ayude a impedir la instalación legítima del Parlamento venezolano se convierte en cómplice de la dictadura y cómplice de quienes están oprimiendo al pueblo de Venezuela.
¡Quedarán expuestos ante sus familiares, el país y el mundo!
— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) January 5, 2020
President Trump’s special representative for Venezuela Elliot Abrams stood by Guaido, telling the Miami Herald, “It is our understanding in Venezuelan law that Guaido remains president until such time as there is allowed a legitimate vote.”
Abrams said the United States plans to continue to pressure Venezuela to turn away from Maduro via sanctions and other diplomatic efforts.
“There are additional ways of bringing pressure on the regime, and we will use them,” Abrams said. “And we’ll obviously ask for additional sanctions in the context of the Rio Treaty, and in the context of EU sanctions that already exist.”
Guaido earned the Trump administration’s support after the democratically-elected National Assembly voted to hold new elections to replace Maduro. Those new elections have yet to take place, but Guaido, as assembly president, has been the de facto leader of Venezuela in the eyes of many nations, including the U.S.
