US Recognizes Opposition Leader as New Venezuelan President

Venezuelan govt gives US diplomats 72 hours to leave the country

Jason Ditz 

Posted onJanuary 23, 2019CategoriesNewsTagsTrump, Venezuela

After over a week a cajoling from the US State Department, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has declared himself the interim president of Venezuela. President Trump almost immediately followed this with a formal recognition of the change. 
The 35-year-old Guaido is head of the National Assembly, and says he feels the need to step in during the chaos surrounding President Maduro’s recent swearing in to a second term in office. 

Maduro is, unsurprisingly, not taking this move well. He has not only not recognized the decision to remove him from power, but has also announced he is cutting all diplomatic ties with the United States. He announced that US diplomatic personnel have 72 hours to leave Venezuela.

President Trump has made removing Maduro from power a long-standing priority, at times urging a military coup, at times suggesting that the US might invade outright. The Trump Administration is reportedly considering imposing new oil sanctions on Venezuela this week if Maduro doesn’t leave power. 

https://news.antiwar.com/2019/01/23/us-recognizes-opposition-leader-as-new-venezuelan-president/