Juan Guaidó returns to Venezuela, risking arrest
By Mary Beth Sheridan , Mary Beth Sheridan Correspondent covering Mexico and Central America Email Bio Follow Rachelle Krygier and Mariana Zuñiga March 4 at 2:56 PM CARACAS, Venezuela — Opposition leader Juan Guaidó made a triumphant return to Venezuela on Monday after a 10-day absence, injecting fresh energy into the U.S.-backed campaign to push out authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro.
Guaidó supporters in Venezuela and abroad had feared he might be arrested on arrival. The opposition leader, who has been recognized as interim president by the United States and more than 50 other countries, had defied a court order when he crossed the border on Feb. 22 to lead an effort to bring truckloads of humanitarian aid into the country. He has since been traveling around Latin America, conferring with presidents who support his bid to unseat Maduro.
Maduro had said that Guaidó will “face justice” if he returns, and Venezuelans were uncertain until virtually the last minute about when and where he would arrive. Security was heavier than usual at the airport. But the opposition leader cleared immigration with no problem, and went on to lead a packed rally in a plaza in the south of Caracas, where there was little presence of security forces.
“We want to tell the government that we are here with Guaidó, and that we are not afraid,” said Yesenia Carrillo, 39, a housewife, in an interview. He continued his appeals to the military —Maduro’s main line of defense —to switch sides. Guaidó even suggested that he was able to return to the country because of divisions in the armed forces.
Guaidó has become the biggest threat to Maduro since the former union leader succeeded Hugo Chávez in 2013 as head of a radical leftist government.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Juan Guaidó attempts to reenter Venezuela, risking arrestThe opposition leader’s return could be a turning point in the effort to oust Nicolás Maduro.
Read more »
Venezuela Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó Plans ReturnVenezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó said he plans to return to Venezuela on Monday in a move that directly confronts President Nicolás Maduro’s authority and could end with Mr. Guaidó in jail.
Read more »
Risking arrest, opposition leader Juan Guaidó returns to VenezuelaOpposition leader Juan Guaidó urged Venezuelans to take to the streets Monday as he returned home after a 10-day absence, trying to reignite a U.S.-backed campaign to push out authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro.
Read more »
Where in the world is Juan Guaidó?Where in the world is Juan Guaidó? He got out of Venezuela. But can he get back in?
Read more »
Guaidó says he’ll be returning to Venezuela for nationwide protests MondayThe opposition leader faces the risk of arrest at a pivotal moment in the political crisis.
Read more »
Guaido defies arrest threat, arrives at Caracas airport – Venezuela crisisUS was among the first countries to recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as legitimate leader, arguing President Nicholas Maduro's May 2018 re-election was a sham. Maduro accuses Guaido of being a coup-mongering puppet for US President Trump.
Read more »
Opposition leader Juan Guaido lands at airport in Venezuela, risking arrestVenezuela's self-declared interim president Juan Guaidó returned to the country on Monday, risking arrest for violating a travel ban in his bid to oust the embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
Read more »