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Guaido Calls for Protests in Venezuela Ahead of His Return

by VOA News

   Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido called on the Venezuelan
   people to take to the streets Monday to coincide with his planned
   return after touring Latin American allies.

   "I'm announcing my return to the country. I am calling on the
   Venezuelan people to mobilize all over the country tomorrow at 11:00 am
   (1500 GMT)," Guaido wrote on Twitter.

   Guaido, recognized by the U.S. and 50 other countries as Venezuela's
   interim leader, heads Venezuela's National Assembly. He used his
   authority to invoke the constitution to declare President Nicolas
   Maduro's leadership illegitimate because of election fraud and declare
   himself interim president.

   Guaido was in Ecuador on Saturday as part of a tour of Latin American
   countries designed to increase pressure on Maduro to resign.

   Last week the U.S.-recognized president met with U.S. Vice President
   Mike Pence and other regional leaders, and later traveled to Brazil and
   Paraguay.

   The United States increased its pressure on Venezuela Friday, imposing
   sanctions on six high-ranking security officials as well as revoking
   the visas of dozens of other high officials.

   The Trump administration said the sanctions were a response to
   Venezuelan military officials, who last weekend blocked an
   opposition-backed effort to bring food into the country. At one border
   point, aid trucks caught fire and several people died.