Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Venezuela’s Capital Caracas on Saturday in support of President Nicolas Maduro and Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, Maduro’s political rival who has proclaimed himself the country’s interim president, BBC reported.

“I believe [the end] is coming very soon – this week,” Barbara Angarita, 49, told The Guardian as she and thousands of other demonstrators poured down the Avenida Principal de las Mercedes in Caracas. “We must have a free country, free for all Venezuelans and for our descendants.”

Addressing thousands of supporters, Guaidó said protests would continue until his supporters achieved “freedom”. Guaido called on “blocks” of the military to defect from Maduro’s administration and “get on the side of the Venezuelan people”, AP reported. “We don’t just want you to stop shooting at protesters,” the Opposition leader said in a hoarse voice. “We want you to be part of the reconstruction of Venezuela.”

A pro-Maduro crowd, meanwhile, gathered to mark the 20th anniversary of the rise to power of Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s predecessor. At the event, Maduro accused the international media of blacking out demonstrations by pro-government supporters.

Last week, Maduro had said he was ready for talks with the country’s Opposition and was open to the possibility of other countries mediating to end the political crisis that has paralysed the nation over the past two weeks.

Venezuela plunged into political turmoil after the United States endorsed Juan Guaidó as president. Guaidó is the leader of the Opposition-led National Assembly, a body Maduro does not recognise. On January 23, Maduro cut diplomatic ties with the US and gave American diplomatic personnel 72 hours to leave the country. However, he later reversed the order.</s>A top Venezuelan air force general said he doesn’t recognize President Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate leader and backed opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim head-of-state.

A video disavowing Maduro’s rule circulated across social media on Twitter on Saturday, just as Venezuelans hit the streets across the country in support of Guaido, who declared himself the country’s temporary leader weeks ago.

VENEZUELA’S OPPOSITION LEADER COURTS MADURO’S INTERNATIONAL ALLIES AFTER ‘CLANDESTINE MEETINGS’ WITH MILITARY

General Francisco Yanez, a member of the air force’s high command, urged others in the military to defect, according to Reuters. He’s reportedly the air force’s head of strategic planning.

In response, the high command accused the general of treason on its Twitter account. Yanez is the first high-ranking general to publicly support the opposition leader.

The general’s defection signals a shifting view towards the socialist government that is struggling to maintain support among the people amid economic hardship and repression of social liberties and instead have to rely on brute force to assert its legitimacy.

VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION HELD ‘CLANDESTINE MEETINGS’ WITH MILITARY IN EFFORT TO OUST MADURO

Guaido revealed on Wednesday that he has held “clandestine meetings” with military officials in an effort to win their support against Maduro.

He stressed in a New York Times op-ed that in order to secure a successful transition of power, the military must withdraw its support for the regime.

“The military’s withdrawal of support from Mr. Maduro is crucial to enabling a change in government, and the majority of those in service agree that the country’s recent travails are untenable,” he wrote.

Guaido has been recognized by President Trump from the onset of the political crisis in Venezuela. But the new interim head-of-state is still scrambling to secure a domestic and international collation against Maduro.

He recently reached out to Maduro’s two closest backers – Russia and China – in a bid to convince them to stop backing the regime.

He told them their interests would be served better if they switched sides and begin backing him. Both foreign countries provide not only diplomatic but also financial support, even though the socialist economy is unlikely to pay back the debts.

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“What most suits Russia and China is the country’s stability and a change of government,” Guaido told Reuters. “Maduro does not protect Venezuela, he doesn’t protect anyone’s investments, and he is not a good deal for those countries.”

On Saturday in a speeh to his supporters, Maduro proposed holding early elections for the National Assembly as he seeks to outmaneuver a renewed opposition that is trying to use its control of the legislature to challenge his rule. He said it would be up to the pro-government constitutional assembly to decide whether or not to back his proposal. Elections for the opposition-controlled National Assembly isn't supposed to take place again until 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>On Sunday morning, as he paid his visit to Ms. Buitrago, Mr. Guaidó’s attention kept getting jerked between short- and long-term concerns. To console her, Mr. Guaidó reached under his dress shirt to remove a rosary he had been wearing in recent days.

“This was given to me for my protection,” he told her, placing it gently on her palm. “It’s a gift.”

Mr. Guaidó seemed pained to cut the meeting short as aides whispered that Mr. Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, had been trying to get through. So he excused himself and plopped down on Ms. Buitrago’s faux cow-print sofa to take the calls.

When Mr. Trudeau got on the line, Mr. Guaidó thanked him for his recognition that he was Venezuela’s rightful leader.

Mr. Guaidó urged the Canadian leader not to be swayed by the group of governments that are calling for new internationally backed negotiations between the government and the opposition to break the standoff.

“This is not the time for dialogue,” Mr. Guaidó said firmly.

Mr. Guaidó said a lot was riding on establishing pipelines of aid that would include food, medicine and hospital supplies. His team’s hope is to rely on the Catholic relief agency Caritas and other volunteers to get the first deliveries started this week.

The convergence of the effects of American oil sanctions, which are expected to cut off significant sources of revenue for Mr. Maduro, and the attempted delivery of humanitarian aid will escalate the standoff. Economists believe fuel and food shortages are likely to worsen in the short run.</s>Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets across the nation on Wednesday to demand an end to Nicolás Maduro’s presidency.

The two-hour walkout took place in more than 5,000 places, according to opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, who made a surprise appearance before a cheering crowd at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, the capital.

“We are staying in the streets,” Guaidó, 35, told students. “Not just because of how bad things are, but also for the future.”

The walkout came a week after Guaidó, the leader of the National Assembly, announced he had assumed presidential powers under the constitution and promised to hold fresh elections during a massive rally.

Guaidó was swiftly recognized as the rightful president by the Trump administration and two dozen other countries. Russia, China and Cuba, meanwhile, remain staunch supporters of Maduro.

President Donald Trump spoke to Guaidó by phone Wednesday morning and reaffirmed support for his “fight to regain democracy.” They agreed to maintain regular communication.

Venezuela's armed forces is proving to be a deciding factor in the country's future, according to analysts.

Maduro told Moscow’s RIA news agency on Wednesday that he is open to talks with the opposition, "so that we could talk for the sake of Venezuela’s peace and its future."

Previous rounds of dialogue between the government and the opposition have failed. Opponents are suspicious that Maduro could use talks to calm protesters and buy time.

In the interview, Maduro also said Trump had ordered neighboring Colombia to kill him.

Guaidó: 'Not losing sleep' over recent actions by Maduro

Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Tuesday banned Guaidó from leaving the country and froze his financial assets hours after the country's chief prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, announced that he was opening a criminal investigation into Guaidó’s anti-government activities. John Bolton, the U.S. National security adviser, warned on Twitter that "there will be serious consequences for those who attempt to subvert democracy and harm Guaidó.”

During Wednesday's walkout, Guaidó said he is not losing any sleep over the Supreme Court order. He also said his goal is for those fleeing the South American country’s crisis to return home and reclaim their nation.

The moves against Guaidó were in retaliation for oil sanctions the U.S. slapped on Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, on Monday. They are likely to have a devastating effect on the country’s already crumpled economy.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was giving Guaidó control of Venezuela’s U.S. bank accounts.

The State Department raised its travel advisory for Venezuela to the highest level, warning Americans not to travel there.

Another round of mass protests are planned for Saturday in different cities around the world.</s>Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro proposed holding congressional elections earlier than planned, as a high-ranking air force general called on colleagues to join him in disavowing Maduro's presidency and protests continue to shake the country.

"I come here to you to state that I don't recognize the dictatorial authority of Nicolás Maduro," Gen. Francisco Yanez said in a video that has circulated on social media on Saturday.

He went on to endorse 35-year-old industrial engineer Juan Guaidó who leads the opposition-filled National Assembly. "To order the armed forces to keep repressing the people is to continue killing more people from hunger, diseases and god willing combat between ourselves," he said. "The people have suffered enough."

Then Yanez invited the citizens to peacefully defend Guaidó in the streets. "To my armed fellow men," he pleaded, "I ask you not to turn your back on the people of Venezuela."

He is the first of the nation's military brass to voice strong support for Guaidó, who declared himself interim president in January after denouncing the integrity of Venezuela's presidential elections.

Yanez told the Associated Press that he would not issue other statements until he was authorized by "the commander-in-chief of the legal armed force," Guaidó.

Several factions of Venezuela, including its Military Aviation and the Academy of Aviation, used Twitter to denounce the general. They tweeted a photo of Yanez in his uniform with the word "TRAITOR" scrawled across. The Air Force Command also accused him of switching sides because his father is facing an investigation into corruption.

Although hundreds of generals serve in the Venezuelan military, the announcement represents a victory for Guaidó, NPR's Philip Reeves reports. The young leader has asked armed forces to still their guns, and hopes to weaken their loyalty to Maduro.

Guaidó passed an amnesty measure for them in the National Assembly. Supporters in the streets have handed out copies of the law to soldiers and police, though analysts say Maduro receives loyalty from top-ranking officers by giving them big paychecks and control of lucrative assets.

"I think the first general that defects from that coalition is going to be the first in a long line of dominoes to fall," John Polga, a Latin America specialist at the U.S. Naval Academy, told NPR before the air force general defected.

The video comes as demonstrators across the country filled Venezuela's streets in shows of support and disdain for their leadership.

Guaidó followed up on his Wednesday protest by tweeting that people should keep going out and "continue our route to freedom."

Thousands of protesters carried the national flag and wore its colors as they demanded Maduro's resignation and new elections. In one video posted Saturday, a riot police officer could be seen hugging a demonstrator.

Maduro sought to spark rallies in support of the government. "Our struggle for self-determination has deep roots in the historic independence battles waged by our liberators," he said. "From them comes the strength, with which we defend the Sovereignty and the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."

His supporters danced and carried banners of Maduro's predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of his socialist party. Maduro thanked them for "so much love!"

In January, he visited a military base outside Caracas, and security forces later paraded down the streets in their Russian-made arms, firing tank shells in a show of strength.

Recent clashes between protesters and security forces have resulted in the deaths at least 40 people, according to the U.N. Foreign journalists covering the unrest have been arrested.

As the rallies continue, Guaidó has turned down offers from the presidents of Mexico and Uruguay to mediate talks with Maduro — a move that the United States condones.

"This is no time for dialogue," Vice President Pence said on Friday at a church filled with Venezuelan exiles in a suburb of Miami. "It is time to end the Maduro regime."</s>THE leader of Venezuela's opposition party claims he has held secret talks with the military to win crucial backing in his bid to oust President Nicolás Maduro.

The news comes after Juan Guaidó declared himself the country's interim president and was immediately recognised by the US and several neighbouring Latin American countries.

However, the superpowers of Russia and China support Maduro which is why military support is seen as key to him holding on to power.

"We have had clandestine meetings with members of the armed forces and the security forces," Mr Guaidó wrote in an article for the New York Times.

"The military's withdrawal of support from Mr Maduro is crucial to enabling a change in government, and the majority of those in service agree that the country's recent travails are untenable."

He added he has offered an amnesty to members of the armed forces "found not guilty of crimes against humanity".

However Guaidó did not say exactly who in the military he had met with.

His claims came just a day after his rival was spotted addressing troops in Maracay, Venezuela.

Donald Trump earlier tweeted on he had spoken to Guaidó and supported his "historic assumption of the presidency", adding later that "The fight for freedom has begun!"

The tweets came after Maduro had bizarrely claimed Trump ordered the mafia to murder him.

He made the astonishing claim as he caved into pressure to hold talks with Guaido.

In an interview with Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, Maduro said: "Donald Trump gave the order to kill me, told the Colombian government, the Colombian mafia to kill me.

"If something happens to me once, Donald Trump and Colombian President Ivan Duque will be responsible for everything what happens to me."

In the same interview Maduro also said he was willing to negotiate with the opposition.

Guaido has called for snap presidential elections, arguing that Maduro fraudulently won a second term last year.

On Tuesday, he urged Venezuelans to step outside their homes and workplaces for two hours on Wednesday in the first mass mobilisation since last week's big protests.

Maduro had previously rejected calls to hold fresh elections, saying it amounted to blackmail and that the countries calling for them must wait until 2025.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.</s>THE leader of Venezuela's opposition party claims he has held secret talks with the military to win crucial backing in his bid to oust President Nicolás Maduro.

The news comes after Juan Guaidó declared himself the country's interim president and was immediately recognised by the US and several neighbouring Latin American countries.

However, the superpowers of Russia and China support Maduro which is why military support is seen as key to him holding on to power.

"We have had clandestine meetings with members of the armed forces and the security forces," Mr Guaidó wrote in an article for the New York Times.

"The military's withdrawal of support from Mr Maduro is crucial to enabling a change in government, and the majority of those in service agree that the country's recent travails are untenable."

He added he has offered an amnesty to members of the armed forces "found not guilty of crimes against humanity".

However Guaidó did not say exactly who in the military he had met with.

His claims came just a day after his rival was spotted addressing troops in Maracay, Venezuela.

Donald Trump earlier tweeted on he had spoken to Guaidó and supported his "historic assumption of the presidency", adding later that "The fight for freedom has begun!"

The tweets came after Maduro had bizarrely claimed Trump ordered the mafia to murder him.

He made the astonishing claim as he caved into pressure to hold talks with Guaido.

In an interview with Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, Maduro said: "Donald Trump gave the order to kill me, told the Colombian government, the Colombian mafia to kill me.

"If something happens to me once, Donald Trump and Colombian President Ivan Duque will be responsible for everything what happens to me."

In the same interview Maduro also said he was willing to negotiate with the opposition.

Guaido has called for snap presidential elections, arguing that Maduro fraudulently won a second term last year.

On Tuesday, he urged Venezuelans to step outside their homes and workplaces for two hours on Wednesday in the first mass mobilisation since last week's big protests.

Maduro had previously rejected calls to hold fresh elections, saying it amounted to blackmail and that the countries calling for them must wait until 2025.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.</s>CARACAS - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó presented a new strategy on Thursday in Caracas saying there is a way for his beloved country to get out of the crippling poverty that has turned millions of desperate Venezuelans into refugees.

Guaidó, who has the support of most of the Venezuelan migrants in South Florida, was holding hands with his wife, Fabiana Rosales, as the two walked into the Central University of Venezuela campus for a meeting at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences.

Activist Lilian Tintori sat next to Rosales. Tintori's husband, Leopoldo López, is Guaidó's mentor. He remains under house arrest on charges that he incited violence during street protests in 2014 when government forces were accused of human rights violations.

"We have a plan, well thought out, structured," Guaidó said.

The 35-year-old engineer, who has the support of U.S. President Donald Trump, said the National Plan approved by the National Assembly is divided into three phases: Nicolás Maduro's ousting, a transitional government and free elections. He also said access to international humanitarian aid was a priority.

Guaidó said "the organized, systematic and sustained protests will continue until this dictatorship falls."

After his speech ended, Guaidó said he received a report that agents from Maduro's Special Actions Force, or FAES, were looking for Rosales at his mother-in-law's apartment, where his only daughter was waiting for them.

"I will hold you responsible for any threat that you could make to my 20-month-old daughter," Guaidó said.

Maduro's administration denied FAES agents were intimidating Guaidó. But despite warnings from U.S. officials to keep away from Guaidó, Maduro's administration is investigating him for treason and terrorism.

While the opposition blames socialism and corruption for turning the OPEC member with the world's largest oil reserves into a country with rampant inflation, Maduro blames it on a U.S.-led economic war.

Guaidó, who was elected to represent the state of Vargas in the opposition-controlled National Assembly in 2015, became the head of the Legislature last year. Since the National Assembly considered Maduro's re-election last year and his 2017 constituent assembly illegitimate, Guaidó cited clauses of the Venezuelan constitution adopted in 1999 to become the interim president Jan. 23.

While Maduro continues to have control of the state-owned oil and gas company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., or PDVSA, the U.S. granted control over Venezuelan assets and property in U.S.-insured banks to Guaidó's administration on Jan. 29. The Bank of England denied Maduro access to $1.2 billion in gold before the European Union sided with Guaidó.

Although leaders in Russia and China have expressed their support for Maduro, some of their companies have decided to freeze contracts. Maduro also has the support of Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Turkey and Iran.

Bloomberg reported on Thursday Evrofinance Mosnarbank, set up in 2011 by Venezuela's development bank and Russia's Gazprombank and VTB Group, has been one of the fastest growing lenders as Maduro's administration works around U.S. sanctions to pay suppliers.

Under the U.S. sanctions, refiners buying crude from Venezuela would need to deposit payments for the oil into an account that PDVSA can’t touch. The European Union is considering sanctions on Venezuela.

Human rights activists in Venezuela report at least 40 have died and more than 900 have been arrested. Some of the political prisoners who are reporting torture are as young as 12 years old, according to attorneys with Penal Forum. Despite Maduro's supporters intent to crush dissent, Guaidó and his supporters are planning a Feb. 2 protest.

Weddle is reporting from Caracas and Torres is reporting from Miami.

Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro proposed holding congressional elections earlier than planned, as a high-ranking air force general called on colleagues to join him in disavowing Maduro's presidency and protests continue to shake the country.

"I come here to you to state that I don't recognize the dictatorial authority of Nicolás Maduro," Gen. Francisco Yanez said in a video that has circulated on social media on Saturday.

He went on to endorse 35-year-old industrial engineer Juan Guaidó who leads the opposition-filled National Assembly. "To order the armed forces to keep repressing the people is to continue killing more people from hunger, diseases and god willing combat between ourselves," he said. "The people have suffered enough."

Then Yanez invited the citizens to peacefully defend Guaidó in the streets. "To my armed fellow men," he pleaded, "I ask you not to turn your back on the people of Venezuela."

He is the first of the nation's military brass to voice strong support for Guaidó, who declared himself interim president in January after denouncing the integrity of Venezuela's presidential elections.

Yanez told the Associated Press that he would not issue other statements until he was authorized by "the commander-in-chief of the legal armed force," Guaidó.

Several factions of Venezuela, including its Military Aviation and the Academy of Aviation, used Twitter to denounce the general. They tweeted a photo of Yanez in his uniform with the word "TRAITOR" scrawled across. The Air Force Command also accused him of switching sides because his father is facing an investigation into corruption.

Although hundreds of generals serve in the Venezuelan military, the announcement represents a victory for Guaidó, NPR's Philip Reeves reports. The young leader has asked armed forces to still their guns, and hopes to weaken their loyalty to Maduro.

Guaidó passed an amnesty measure for them in the National Assembly. Supporters in the streets have handed out copies of the law to soldiers and police, though analysts say Maduro receives loyalty from top-ranking officers by giving them big paychecks and control of lucrative assets.

"I think the first general that defects from that coalition is going to be the first in a long line of dominoes to fall," John Polga, a Latin America specialist at the U.S. Naval Academy, told NPR before the air force general defected.

The video comes as demonstrators across the country filled Venezuela's streets in shows of support and disdain for their leadership.

Guaidó followed up on his Wednesday protest by tweeting that people should keep going out and "continue our route to freedom."

Thousands of protesters carried the national flag and wore its colors as they demanded Maduro's resignation and new elections. In one video posted Saturday, a riot police officer could be seen hugging a demonstrator.

Maduro sought to spark rallies in support of the government. "Our struggle for self-determination has deep roots in the historic independence battles waged by our liberators," he said. "From them comes the strength, with which we defend the Sovereignty and the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."

His supporters danced and carried banners of Maduro's predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of his socialist party. Maduro thanked them for "so much love!"

In January, he visited a military base outside Caracas, and security forces later paraded down the streets in their Russian-made arms, firing tank shells in a show of strength.

Recent clashes between protesters and security forces have resulted in the deaths at least 40 people, according to the U.N. Foreign journalists covering the unrest have been arrested.

As the rallies continue, Guaidó has turned down offers from the presidents of Mexico and Uruguay to mediate talks with Maduro — a move that the United States condones.

"This is no time for dialogue," Vice President Pence said on Friday at a church filled with Venezuelan exiles in a suburb of Miami. "It is time to end the Maduro regime."</s>Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets across the nation on Wednesday to demand an end to Nicolás Maduro’s presidency.

The two-hour walkout took place in more than 5,000 places, according to opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, who made a surprise appearance before a cheering crowd at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, the capital.

“We are staying in the streets,” Guaidó, 35, told students. “Not just because of how bad things are, but also for the future.”

The walkout came a week after Guaidó, the leader of the National Assembly, announced he had assumed presidential powers under the constitution and promised to hold fresh elections during a massive rally.

Guaidó was swiftly recognized as the rightful president by the Trump administration and two dozen other countries. Russia, China and Cuba, meanwhile, remain staunch supporters of Maduro.

President Donald Trump spoke to Guaidó by phone Wednesday morning and reaffirmed support for his “fight to regain democracy.” They agreed to maintain regular communication.

Venezuela's armed forces is proving to be a deciding factor in the country's future, according to analysts.

Maduro told Moscow’s RIA news agency on Wednesday that he is open to talks with the opposition, "so that we could talk for the sake of Venezuela’s peace and its future."

Previous rounds of dialogue between the government and the opposition have failed. Opponents are suspicious that Maduro could use talks to calm protesters and buy time.

In the interview, Maduro also said Trump had ordered neighboring Colombia to kill him.

Guaidó: 'Not losing sleep' over recent actions by Maduro

Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Tuesday banned Guaidó from leaving the country and froze his financial assets hours after the country's chief prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, announced that he was opening a criminal investigation into Guaidó’s anti-government activities. John Bolton, the U.S. National security adviser, warned on Twitter that "there will be serious consequences for those who attempt to subvert democracy and harm Guaidó.”

During Wednesday's walkout, Guaidó said he is not losing any sleep over the Supreme Court order. He also said his goal is for those fleeing the South American country’s crisis to return home and reclaim their nation.

The moves against Guaidó were in retaliation for oil sanctions the U.S. slapped on Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, on Monday. They are likely to have a devastating effect on the country’s already crumpled economy.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was giving Guaidó control of Venezuela’s U.S. bank accounts.

The State Department raised its travel advisory for Venezuela to the highest level, warning Americans not to travel there.

Another round of mass protests are planned for Saturday in different cities around the world.
Venezuelan Air Force general Francisco Yáñez becomes the first high-ranking general to publicly support Juan Guaidó after he denounced the "dictatorship" of Maduro and recognized Guaidó's claim as the nation's legitimate leader.