Very few countries have rallied to the defense of Nicolas Maduro after he refused to step down at the end of his presidential term last month. Maduro claims a second term based on the results of May 20, 2018 elections, but most observers inside and outside Venezuela dismissed those polls as flawed and invalid. After all, Maduro had banned most opposition parties from challenging him and, in turn, most Venezuelans stayed home. Constitutionally, this leaves it to Venezuela’s National Assembly to choose an interim president until a successor is chosen. They chose that body’s president, Juan Guaido.

It is Guaido whom the United States, European states, and an increasing number of Latin American countries now recognize as Venezuela’s rightful ruler. Supporting Maduro? China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Turkey.