Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido was to ask lawmakers yesterday to declare a “state of alarm” over the nation’s devastating blackout to facilitate the delivery of international aid.
At least 15 people with advanced kidney disease were reported to have died since the massive power outage began on Thursday last week as hospitals struggled to provide emergency services and the threat of spoiling food supplies put many on edge.
“We must attend to this catastrophe immediately. We cannot turn away from it,” said Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of the National Assembly who in January declared himself interim president, triggering a power struggle in the oil-rich South American country of 30 million.
Photo: AFP
On Sunday, he told reporters he would convene an emergency session of the opposition-controlled Venezuelan National Assembly to declare the “state of alarm” — setting up another test of wills with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Last month, Maduro used the military to block an opposition bid to bring in more than 250 tonnes of supplies.
On Sunday, Maduro vowed not to back down.
“This macabre strategy to bring us to a confrontation will fail,” he wrote on Twitter.
Guaido called for more street protests to pressure Maduro to step down, following up on a rally on Saturday.
“You have the right to go into the street, to protest, to demand, because this regime is letting Venezuelans die,” he said on Sunday.
In Washington, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton said that members of the military were reconsidering their support for Maduro.
“There are countless conversations going on between members of the National Assembly and members of the military in Venezuela, talking about what might come, how they might move to support the opposition,” Bolton said in an interview on ABC’s This Week.
One reason the security forces have refrained from arresting Guaido, he said, “is Maduro fears if he gave that order, it would not be obeyed.”
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