The head of Venezuela's ruling regime, Nicolás Maduro, asked the head of the National Assembly (AN), Juan Guaidó, recognized as interim president of the same nation by some 50 countries, to call presidential elections on Tuesday. Maduro's challenge is given because he believes he would defeat him and this would put an end to the dispute over the executive power that has marked an institutional crisis unprecedented in the Caribbean country.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that a new day is coming in Latin America, as he sought to rally support among the largest Venezuelan community in the U.S. for opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Speaking at Florida International University in Miami before large American and Venezuelan flags, Trump said the U.S. stands behind Guaido, whom the U.S. recognizes as the country's rightful president, and condemns President Nicolas Maduro's government and its socialist policies.
A C-17 cargo plane of the United States Air Force took off Saturday from the Homestead Air Force Base, in Florida, with the Venezuelan-Colombian border as the destination. The aircraft is one of three that will transport 250 tons of food, hygiene kits and nutritional supplements, a congressional aide to the US Congress told the Associated Press (AP).
As advanced by Mercopress, Uruguay and Argentine presidents', Tabare Vazquez and Mauricio Macri open agenda surprise meeting was in effect to address the Venezuelan situation, particularly what has been described in Buenos Aires as the erratic accommodative stance to circumstances and environment, of the Vazquez administration.
Pope Francis has sent a letter to Nicolas Maduro responding to a recent invitation to mediate in the Venezuelan political crisis, according to an Italian newspaper. Milan daily newspaper Corriere Della Sera published a report saying that previous peace efforts in Venezuela were “interrupted because what had been agreed in the meetings was not followed by concrete gestures to implement the agreements.”
Russia said on Tuesday it was ready to facilitate the start of dialogue between Venezuela's government and opposition, but warned the United States against intervening in Caracas' internal affairs.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guido told a huge rally of supporters on Tuesday that humanitarian aid would enter the country on Feb. 23, setting the stage for a showdown with President Nicolas Maduro who has refused to let supplies in.
The government of the United Kingdom announced on Tuesday that it will grant 6.5 million pounds, approximately 8.4 million dollars, to finance the different humanitarian agencies that are in the region assisting Venezuelan citizens inside and outside their country.
Presidents from Uruguay and Argentina, Tabare Vazquez and Mauricio Macri, will be meeting on Wednesday to discuss an open agenda, but which according to Buenos Aires sources will be centered on the Venezuelan situation, where the two countries hold different positions. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Colonia, at the Anchorena Park, which is an official resting place of the Uruguayan Executive, and a twenty minutes helicopter flight distance from Buenos Aires.
Venezuelan opposition envoy Maria Teresa Belandria was received as her country’s official ambassador in Brazil on Monday and said Brazil’s government would provide all possible support to get humanitarian aid to the border.