Nine European nations have now joined the United States in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president, heightening a global showdown over President Nicolas Maduro’s rule. As head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Guaidó
says the constitution allows him to assume power temporarily when the president is deemed illegitimate.
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Guaidó has become the international symbol of Venezuela’s revolt, projecting an image of stability in a crisis fuelled by skyrocketing hyperinflation, shortages of food and medicine and political strife. His rise is due in large part to his mentor, opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who is a political prisoner under house arrest that bars him from politics. In 2015, Lopez was sentenced to 13 years and nine months in a military prison on charges including inciting violence. He was released to house arrest in July 2017 Though he’s prevented from leaving his property, the 47-year-old former presidential candidate is in regular contact with Guidó as well as foreign heads of state.
