Declaring he knows he is at risk, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido returned Monday to his homeland to renew his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido landed at the country’s main airport, about 25 miles from Caracas, the capital.

He said in a tweet that he successfully passed through immigration checks.

“We know the risks that we face, that’s never stopped us,” the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly said as he moved through a crowd that included several Western ambassadors.

The United States and about 50 other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, arguing that last year’s re-election of Maduro was illegitimate because popular opposition candidates were barred from running.

TRENDING: Massive Alligator Takes the Internet by Storm, Biologist Promises This Is Not a Hoax

“The regime must understand, the dictatorship must understand … that we’re stronger than ever. We’ll continue protesting, we’ll continue mobilizing,” said Guaido, who had ignored an official ban on foreign travel to leave Venezuela, first for Colombia and then elsewhere in Latin America.

Guaido has called for nationwide demonstrations coinciding with his arrival.

Thousands of supporters heeded the call, peacefully gathering at a Caracas plaza and in other locations around the country. Some people carried national flags.

Guaido, who has declared himself interim president of Venezuela, said the goal of his return is to intensify internal pressure on Maduro.

Besides Colombia, Guaido visited Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador over the past week. All are countries that support his campaign against Maduro.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that threats or action by Maduro’s government against Guaido “will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.”

Maduro has said he is the target of a U.S.-backed coup plot after the Trump administration joined dozens of other countries in recognizing Guaido as the rightful president of a nation in the midst of a political and humanitarian crisis.

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, did not directly address a question about whether Guaido faces arrest during a recent interview with Russian state-owned TV channel RT.

But she left open the possibility, saying Guaido had broken the law and is “a Venezuelan who conspires with foreign governments to overthrow a constitutional government.”

RELATED: Trump Tightens Embargo on Cuba, Communist Government Calls It an ‘Unacceptable Threat’

Maduro, meanwhile, has urged Venezuelans to enjoy the carnival season slated for Monday and Tuesday, even though many people don’t have the resources to travel to beaches and other holiday spots.

Maduro on Sunday tweeted that Venezuelans nationwide are enjoying the carnival “in peace and happiness.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington’s top envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, said on Tuesday it was hard to see a role for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the building of a “democratic Venezuela.”

“If he wanted to build a democratic Venezuela, he had the opportunity to do so, but he did not,” Abrams told reporters. “It is extremely difficult to see how he could play a positive role in a democratic election,” he said, adding that it was ultimately up to Venezuelans to decide Maduro’s future role.

Abrams also said that imposing U.S. secondary sanctions against non-U.S. citizens or entities tied to the Maduro government was “clearly a possibility,” although he said a decision had not been made on taking such a step.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington’s top envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, said on Tuesday it was hard to see a role for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the building of a “democratic Venezuela.”

“If he wanted to build a democratic Venezuela, he had the opportunity to do so, but he did not,” Abrams told reporters. “It is extremely difficult to see how he could play a positive role in a democratic election,” he said, adding that it was ultimately up to Venezuelans to decide Maduro’s future role.

Abrams also said that imposing U.S. secondary sanctions against non-U.S. citizens or entities tied to the Maduro government was “clearly a possibility,” although he said a decision had not been made on taking such a step.</s>WASHINGTON, March 5 (Reuters) - Washington's top envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, said on Tuesday it was hard to see a role for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the building of a "democratic Venezuela."

"If he wanted to build a democratic Venezuela, he had the opportunity to do so, but he did not," Abrams told reporters. "It is extremely difficult to see how he could play a positive role in a democratic election," he said, adding that it was ultimately up to Venezuelans to decide Maduro's future role.

Abrams also said that imposing U.S. secondary sanctions against non-U.S. citizens or entities tied to the Maduro government was "clearly a possibility," although he said a decision had not been made on taking such a step.</s>Declaring he knows he is at risk, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido returned Monday to his homeland to renew his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido landed at the country’s main airport, about 25 miles from Caracas, the capital.

He said in a tweet that he successfully passed through immigration checks.

“We know the risks that we face, that’s never stopped us,” the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly said as he moved through a crowd that included several Western ambassadors.

The United States and about 50 other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, arguing that last year’s re-election of Maduro was illegitimate because popular opposition candidates were barred from running.

TRENDING: Massive Alligator Takes the Internet by Storm, Biologist Promises This Is Not a Hoax

“The regime must understand, the dictatorship must understand … that we’re stronger than ever. We’ll continue protesting, we’ll continue mobilizing,” said Guaido, who had ignored an official ban on foreign travel to leave Venezuela, first for Colombia and then elsewhere in Latin America.

Guaido has called for nationwide demonstrations coinciding with his arrival.

Thousands of supporters heeded the call, peacefully gathering at a Caracas plaza and in other locations around the country. Some people carried national flags.

Guaido, who has declared himself interim president of Venezuela, said the goal of his return is to intensify internal pressure on Maduro.

Besides Colombia, Guaido visited Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador over the past week. All are countries that support his campaign against Maduro.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that threats or action by Maduro’s government against Guaido “will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.”

Maduro has said he is the target of a U.S.-backed coup plot after the Trump administration joined dozens of other countries in recognizing Guaido as the rightful president of a nation in the midst of a political and humanitarian crisis.

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, did not directly address a question about whether Guaido faces arrest during a recent interview with Russian state-owned TV channel RT.

But she left open the possibility, saying Guaido had broken the law and is “a Venezuelan who conspires with foreign governments to overthrow a constitutional government.”

RELATED: Trump Tightens Embargo on Cuba, Communist Government Calls It an ‘Unacceptable Threat’

Maduro, meanwhile, has urged Venezuelans to enjoy the carnival season slated for Monday and Tuesday, even though many people don’t have the resources to travel to beaches and other holiday spots.

Maduro on Sunday tweeted that Venezuelans nationwide are enjoying the carnival “in peace and happiness.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Latest on Venezuela's political crisis (all times local):

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has arrived back in Venezuela to renew his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido landed at the country's main airport, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Caracas. He said in a tweet he successfully passed through immigration checks.

Several European ambassadors who support his campaign for a change of leadership in Venezuela were at the scene as he arrived Monday.

Dozens of countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate leader, arguing that last year's re-election of Maduro was invalid.

Guaido has called for nationwide demonstrations coinciding with his arrival. He'd ignored an official ban on travelling to go abroad.

Several hundred supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido have gathered in a Caracas plaza, heeding a call from the self-declared interim president to turn out for his expected return to Venezuela.

More demonstrators on Monday were walking toward the plaza in the Las Mercedes district of the Venezuelan capital. Some carried national flags.

The crowd initially appeared smaller than those of previous opposition rallies, which have drawn tens of thousands of people.

Guaido says the goal of his return is to intensify pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to resign so that a transitional government can take over and prepare Venezuela for free and fair elections. Maduro says he is the target of a U.S.-backed plot to overthrow him.

Guaido on Monday morning tweeted that he was on his way home, though he did not reveal his exact whereabouts.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido says he's his way home.

Guaido tweeted Monday that he's heading back to Venezuela, though details about his exact whereabouts remained a mystery ahead of planned anti-government protests.

The leader of the National Assembly has declared himself interim president of Venezuela. He says the goal of his return is to intensify internal pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro. In the last week, Guaido visited several Latin American countries that support his campaign against Maduro, who was re-elected last year in a vote that the opposition and dozens of foreign nations say was invalid.</s>The claim that Hezbollah has ties to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was reinforced by a report by the Jerusalem Post, citing former Venezuelan Intelligence Chief Hugo Carvajal. The article was originally published on February 24, but US National Security Adviser shared it on twitter on February 27, with accusations that no longer mention "Maduro and his cronies," but rather Maduro and "a counsel of terrorists and Cuban minders."According to the Jerusalem Post article, which itself cites a NYT report , Carvajal revealed powerful ties between the administration of President Nicolás Maduro and the Hezbollah terrorist group, as well as wide-spread corruption and drug activity.Allegedly, those who were meant to combat drugs were engaged in trafficking them, Carvajal said.El Aissami was not only a drug kingpin, said Carvajal, but also had connections to Hezbollah, and attempted to arrange Hezbollah terrorists to work with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia [FARC] through Venezuela.The claim that Hezbollah has ties with the Maduro government was initially suggested by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo close around 14 days earlier.On February 24th, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif expressed his country's support of Maduro's government and slammed any foreign intervention in Venezuela's internal affairs. Thus, it is also possible that accusations of Iranian influence to being circulating the media soon.Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing opposition Legislator Angel Alvarado and three anonymous government sources who claimed that Nicolas Maduro had removed at least 8 tons of gold from the Venezuelan central bank's vaults between February 20and 22This was done while there were no regular security guards present at the bank. According to Alvarado they plan to sell it illegally abroad.The anonymous sources and Alvarado did not say where the gold would be sold. They said the operation took place while central bank head Calixto Ortega was abroad on a trip.Separately, on February 27the containers were also placed on the Simon Bolivar bridge to block it as well. It is a major pedestrian crossing between Colombia and Venezuela. It is also the place where the "humanitarian aid truck" was set on fire allegedly by the Venezuelan military.The Tienditas bridge, which is blocked for passage all year round was also blocked by shipping containers in January.US-Proclaimed Interim President Juan Guaido who travelled to Colombia, despite a travel ban imposed by the Venezuelan Supreme Court also travelled to Brazil on the evening of February 27to meet with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro as part of a tour of several nations to ratchet up international pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to step down.Maduro said that Guaido should face justice after he returns to Venezuela because he went against the supreme court's ruling.Meanwhile, in his address to the UN Human Rights Council Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza suggested that Maduro and Trump should meet and "try to find common ground and explain their differences."US Vice President Mike Pence discarded the suggestion, saying that the only thing to discuss is the exact "time and date of his [Maduro's] departure."On Thursday, both the US and Russia submitted their own draft resolutions on the Venezuelan crisis.The decision to submit the Russian draft resolution was announced by Russian mission to the UN Fyodor Strzhizhovsky.An anonymous diplomatic source told TASS that the vote on Russia's draft resolution on Venezuela at the UN Security Council is planned for Thursday.Maduro's vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, is also to travel to Moscow for talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on March 1. Russia has continued to support Maduro government throughout the crisis and despite continuing false media reports that it is doubting the "regime."</s>Declaring he knows he is at risk, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido returned Monday to his homeland to renew his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido landed at the country’s main airport, about 25 miles from Caracas, the capital.

He said in a tweet that he successfully passed through immigration checks.

“We know the risks that we face, that’s never stopped us,” the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly said as he moved through a crowd that included several Western ambassadors.

The United States and about 50 other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, arguing that last year’s re-election of Maduro was illegitimate because popular opposition candidates were barred from running.

TRENDING: Massive Alligator Takes the Internet by Storm, Biologist Promises This Is Not a Hoax

“The regime must understand, the dictatorship must understand … that we’re stronger than ever. We’ll continue protesting, we’ll continue mobilizing,” said Guaido, who had ignored an official ban on foreign travel to leave Venezuela, first for Colombia and then elsewhere in Latin America.

Guaido has called for nationwide demonstrations coinciding with his arrival.

Thousands of supporters heeded the call, peacefully gathering at a Caracas plaza and in other locations around the country. Some people carried national flags.

Guaido, who has declared himself interim president of Venezuela, said the goal of his return is to intensify internal pressure on Maduro.

Besides Colombia, Guaido visited Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador over the past week. All are countries that support his campaign against Maduro.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that threats or action by Maduro’s government against Guaido “will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.”

Maduro has said he is the target of a U.S.-backed coup plot after the Trump administration joined dozens of other countries in recognizing Guaido as the rightful president of a nation in the midst of a political and humanitarian crisis.

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, did not directly address a question about whether Guaido faces arrest during a recent interview with Russian state-owned TV channel RT.

But she left open the possibility, saying Guaido had broken the law and is “a Venezuelan who conspires with foreign governments to overthrow a constitutional government.”

RELATED: Trump Tightens Embargo on Cuba, Communist Government Calls It an ‘Unacceptable Threat’

Maduro, meanwhile, has urged Venezuelans to enjoy the carnival season slated for Monday and Tuesday, even though many people don’t have the resources to travel to beaches and other holiday spots.

Maduro on Sunday tweeted that Venezuelans nationwide are enjoying the carnival “in peace and happiness.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.</s>Declaring he knows he is at risk, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido returned Monday to his homeland to renew his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido landed at the country’s main airport, about 25 miles from Caracas, the capital.

He said in a tweet that he successfully passed through immigration checks.

“We know the risks that we face, that’s never stopped us,” the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly said as he moved through a crowd that included several Western ambassadors.

The United States and about 50 other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, arguing that last year’s re-election of Maduro was illegitimate because popular opposition candidates were barred from running.

TRENDING: Massive Alligator Takes the Internet by Storm, Biologist Promises This Is Not a Hoax

“The regime must understand, the dictatorship must understand … that we’re stronger than ever. We’ll continue protesting, we’ll continue mobilizing,” said Guaido, who had ignored an official ban on foreign travel to leave Venezuela, first for Colombia and then elsewhere in Latin America.

Guaido has called for nationwide demonstrations coinciding with his arrival.

Thousands of supporters heeded the call, peacefully gathering at a Caracas plaza and in other locations around the country. Some people carried national flags.

Guaido, who has declared himself interim president of Venezuela, said the goal of his return is to intensify internal pressure on Maduro.

Besides Colombia, Guaido visited Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador over the past week. All are countries that support his campaign against Maduro.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that threats or action by Maduro’s government against Guaido “will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.”

Maduro has said he is the target of a U.S.-backed coup plot after the Trump administration joined dozens of other countries in recognizing Guaido as the rightful president of a nation in the midst of a political and humanitarian crisis.

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, did not directly address a question about whether Guaido faces arrest during a recent interview with Russian state-owned TV channel RT.

But she left open the possibility, saying Guaido had broken the law and is “a Venezuelan who conspires with foreign governments to overthrow a constitutional government.”

RELATED: Trump Tightens Embargo on Cuba, Communist Government Calls It an ‘Unacceptable Threat’

Maduro, meanwhile, has urged Venezuelans to enjoy the carnival season slated for Monday and Tuesday, even though many people don’t have the resources to travel to beaches and other holiday spots.

Maduro on Sunday tweeted that Venezuelans nationwide are enjoying the carnival “in peace and happiness.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.</s>Declaring he knows he is at risk, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido returned Monday to his homeland to renew his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido landed at the country’s main airport, about 25 miles from Caracas, the capital.

He said in a tweet that he successfully passed through immigration checks.

“We know the risks that we face, that’s never stopped us,” the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly said as he moved through a crowd that included several Western ambassadors.

The United States and about 50 other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, arguing that last year’s re-election of Maduro was illegitimate because popular opposition candidates were barred from running.

TRENDING: Massive Alligator Takes the Internet by Storm, Biologist Promises This Is Not a Hoax

“The regime must understand, the dictatorship must understand … that we’re stronger than ever. We’ll continue protesting, we’ll continue mobilizing,” said Guaido, who had ignored an official ban on foreign travel to leave Venezuela, first for Colombia and then elsewhere in Latin America.

Guaido has called for nationwide demonstrations coinciding with his arrival.

Thousands of supporters heeded the call, peacefully gathering at a Caracas plaza and in other locations around the country. Some people carried national flags.

Guaido, who has declared himself interim president of Venezuela, said the goal of his return is to intensify internal pressure on Maduro.

Besides Colombia, Guaido visited Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador over the past week. All are countries that support his campaign against Maduro.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that threats or action by Maduro’s government against Guaido “will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.”

Maduro has said he is the target of a U.S.-backed coup plot after the Trump administration joined dozens of other countries in recognizing Guaido as the rightful president of a nation in the midst of a political and humanitarian crisis.

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, did not directly address a question about whether Guaido faces arrest during a recent interview with Russian state-owned TV channel RT.

But she left open the possibility, saying Guaido had broken the law and is “a Venezuelan who conspires with foreign governments to overthrow a constitutional government.”

RELATED: Trump Tightens Embargo on Cuba, Communist Government Calls It an ‘Unacceptable Threat’

Maduro, meanwhile, has urged Venezuelans to enjoy the carnival season slated for Monday and Tuesday, even though many people don’t have the resources to travel to beaches and other holiday spots.

Maduro on Sunday tweeted that Venezuelans nationwide are enjoying the carnival “in peace and happiness.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Venezuelan National Assembly-declared interim President Juan Guaidó defies Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's threats and returns to Venezuela where he is received by tens of thousands of people in Caracas.