Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaido faced an internal test of his authority in a key vote yesterday as he campaigns to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and end the country’s economic and humanitarian crisis.
The opposition-controlled Venezuelan National Assembly was to decide whether to keep Guaido as its leader for a second year.
Guaido would also come under pressure to articulate a fresh vision for removing Maduro — something he has not been able to accomplish.
“The big question for this year is whether Guaido will be able to use his waning political strength to guide his coalition through such a rocky period,” said Geoff Ramsey, a researcher at the Washington Office on Latin America research center. “Opposition unity is already fraying at the edges, and the armed forces appear less likely than ever to abandon Maduro.”
Guaido declared presidential powers over Venezuela on Jan. 23 last year, saying that Maduro’s re-election was illegitimate, because the most popular opposition parties and political leaders had been disqualified from running.
The US and more than 50 other nations declared Maduro’s leadership invalid and endorsed Guaido.
Venezuela sits atop vast oil and mineral resources, but it has been imploding economically and socially in the past few years.
Critics have blamed the plunge on years of failed socialist rule and corruption, while Maduro’s allies have said US sanctions are taking a toll on the economy.
The South American nation’s 30 million people suffer soaring inflation and shortages of gasoline, water and electricity.
Maduro, who took over after the 2013 death of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, has said Guaido is a puppet of the US.
He also said he is determined to win control of the assembly in elections later this year.
Ramsey said this is an important moment for Venezuela’s opposition.
“Guaido will have to not only re-energize his base and convince them to stay engaged, but keep his coalition in line as well,” he said.
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