The Venezuelan opposition is in talks with sympathetic military and civilian officials in a bid to force out President Nicolás Maduro, self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaidó said in an interview Sunday with The Washington Post.

Backed by the United States and other nations, Guaidó also said the opposition will test the socialist government by bringing in food aid to ease a crippling humanitarian crisis.

Guaidó and his opposition are locked in a high stakes power play to wrest Maduro from power. In Caracas, Maduro’s top brass and defense minister have sworn their allegiance to him.

Guaidó told The Post that talks with the military were proceeding behind the scenes. He also hailed a move on Saturday by Maduro’s former military attaché in Washington to switch allegiance to Guaidó.

“We have been in talks with government officials, civilian and military men,” Guaidó said. “This is a very delicate subject involving personal security. We are meeting with them but discreetly.”

With the backing of the United States and a host of Latin American countries, Guaidó last week proclaimed himself interim president. The new head of Venezuela’s democratically elected National Assembly, a body stripped of its power by Maduro in 2017 but still recognized internationally, Guaidó has argued that Maduro is illegitimate and must leave power after elections last year that were widely derided as fraudulent.

Antonio Rivero, a Venezuelan general in exile in Miami, said he has spoken with high, middle and lower military officials who dissent against Maduro but remain fearful of a full break.

“Many soldiers are desperate,” Rivero said. “The armed forces are broken already.”

In the eastern slum of Petare, anti-Maduro residents approached National Guard stations to hand out fliers with an amnesty pledge to encourage the drab-clad guards to turn against Maduro. One guard burned the paper as they shouted, “Soldier, my friend, you’re the only one missing.”

The crowd had met early and had bought the guards baked goods for breakfast, hoping for a most positive response.

“We’re asking them to stop going out to the streets to repress us. We’re asking them to come out to support us,” said Manfredo Gonzalez, a social worker.

As Guaidó seeks to establish a transition government with an international network, he said he was in the process of naming “foreign representatives.” Carlos Vecchio, an exiled Venezuelan opposition leader living in South Florida was already “exerting responsibilities” in the United States, he said. Guaidó said that ahead of his proclamation as president, he had met or spoken with several U.S. senators, including Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.).

The United States.and Venezuela broke diplomatic relations last week, as the Trump administration recognized Guaidó, and Maduro responded with an order for U.S. diplomats to depart Caracas by Jan. 26. Maduro, however, backed off that ultimatum following an agreement to keep minimal staff in the country for 30 days as the two sides negotiate the establishment of more limited “interest offices.”

If no deal is reached at the end of that period, diplomats would still need to be pulled within 72 hours.

The United States last week ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel from Venezuela but has said the embassy would remain open with a skeleton crew. In an interview with CNN Turk broadcast on Sunday, Maduro confirmed that a small number of U.S. diplomats were still in Caracas.

“I have authorized a small group to remain, to carry out the negotiations that will take place during 30 days for the establishment of an interests office,” Maduro said. “We do not have diplomatic and political relations with them. I broke them.”

Maduro lashed out at European powers that have given him eight days, starting Saturday, to call new elections. If he doesn’t, they have threatened to recognize Guaidó.

“They must withdraw this ultimatum. Nobody can give us an ultimatum,” Maduro told the network.

Guaidó told The Post that the opposition was preparing to challenge the government’s authority by bringing food aid into the country, aid made possible by a $20 million pledge from the United States, as well as offers from Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and the European Union. Maduro has largely blocked aid in the past, claiming that rapidly spreading hunger and disease in Venezuela is a fiction invented by his enemies.

“Humanitarian aid is the center of our policy, and we are working on the logistics,” he said. “We believe this will be a new dilemma for the regime and the Armed Forces. They’ll have to decide if they’re on the side of the people and want to heal the country, or if they will ignore it. I believe we’re going to achieve it. They’re going to let it in.”

He said his challenge to Maduro is in an early, sensitive phase. He said “many elements need to be solved” before he would seek new elections. He suggested it would take six to nine months to do so if Maduro steps down and the electoral system could be rapidly purged of corruption.

Guaidó credited foreign backing for the government’s restraint in dealing with him. Though he was briefly detained earlier this month, Maduro’s government has treaded relatively lightly; it has arrested, charged or driven into exile other opposition leaders.

Guaido’s growing recognition has placed practical burdens on his fledgling transitional government, including how to pay for embassy rents and staffing in countries where he is viewed as Venezuela’s emergency leader. The opposition has said Guaidó is partly counting on Venezuelan assets frozen by the United States, which the Trump administration has pledge to put at his disposal to carry out diplomacy and governance.

Guaidó said the fledging transitional government seeks to take control of Citgo, the U.S. oil company wholly owned by the Venezuelan state via American subsidiaries, but suggested it might take time. Influential Venezuelan exiles were calling on the Trump administration to take steps that could secure Citgo as a source of revenue for Guaido’s transitional government.

“Nothing will signal Mr. Maduro more pointedly than the loss of control over foreign assets,” said Pedro Burelli, former member of the board of directors of Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, which owns Citgo.

“Other than liquid assets owned by an array of public entities, control of Citgo would be a game changer,” he said.

Faiola reported from Rio de Janeiro and Kryger from Miami.

Fight in Venezuela is against more than a strongman — it’s against what some call a criminal empire

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news</s>Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, right, speaks with Constitutional Assembly President Diosdado Cabello at the Supreme Court during an annual ceremony that marks the start of the judicial year in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. Cabello and other high-ranking allies pledged to stand behind Maduro and denounced Juan Guaido who declared himself interim president on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says "all options are on the table" as the U.S. seeks to push Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to give up power. But the reality is much more complicated.

The U.S. still has tools to apply pressure on Maduro, even after years of tough rhetoric and increasing sanctions. But further targeted measures may do little to hurt the already-reeling South American country and a major step like halting Venezuelan oil imports could damage the American economy. The most extreme step, direct military action, appears to be not under consideration, at least for now.

The U.S. and other nations on Wednesday took the highly unusual step of recognizing Juan Guaido, the opposition head of the National Assembly as the interim president of Venezuela. Maduro, elected last year in a vote widely seen as fraudulent, still controls the military and security services and has support among at least a portion of the public. He's given no sign that he intends to step down.

On Thursday, 16 of the 34 nations in the Organization of American States recognized Guaido at an emergency session. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged members to oppose the "illegitimate" Maduro and pledged to make $20 million available for humanitarian assistance to the country.

"As a friend of the Venezuelan people, we stand ready to help them even more, to help them begin the process of rebuilding their country and their economy from the destruction wrought by the criminally incompetent and illegitimate Maduro regime," he said.

When asked about next steps, administration officials repeat variations of what the president said on Wednesday. "We're not considering anything, but all options are on the table," Trump told reporters, in response to a question about the possibility of military action.

A potent weapon called for by some lawmakers, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, would be sanctions on oil from Venezuela, the fourth largest supplier of crude to the U.S. But that could cause gas prices to rise, mean a loss of business for Gulf State refiners and have other ripple effects in the American economy.

"Sanctions on Venezuela's energy sector would like harm U.S. businesses, workers, and consumers while failing to address the very real issues in Venezuela," Chet Thompson, the president of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, said in a letter to the president.

Another option to punish Venezuela would be to designate it a "state sponsor of terrorism," which would impose wide-ranging sanctions and put strict limits on the ability of Venezuelan officials to travel to or within the United States. Lawmakers have suggested that and the administration has looked at it but has for the moment ruled it out because Venezuela does not meet the legal criteria for the designation, which would include evidence that the government supported or ordered terrorist attacks.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents thousands of Venezuelan expatriates in her South Florida district, favors "targeted" sanctions on the oil industry that reduce some of the money that flows to Maduro's government. "That's been something we held back because that obviously would have an economic impact on the U.S," she said.

Wasserman Schultz doesn't think a military solution is an option for resolving a political crisis in the country. "I know the president is saying that all options are on the table and all means all, but I think a peaceful exit for Maduro needs to be the goal," she said.

For the time being, Guaido is asking the U.S. to continue helping prevent Maduro and his associates from transferring wealth outside the country, according to an administration official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the measure and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

National security adviser John Bolton said Thursday the Trump administration is focused on "disconnecting the illegitimate Maduro regime from the source of its revenues." Those revenues should go to the legitimate government of Guaido, he said Thursday at the White House.

"It's very complicated," Bolton said. "We're working really around the clock to do what we can to strengthen the new government."

U.S. action will depend on what Maduro does next and whether the security forces violently respond to the opposition leader or his supporters, said Jason Marczak, director of the Atlantic Council's Latin America center.

Marczak said the U.S. could provide security assistance to help protect the new government, but there is no support for U.S. allies in the region for a military intervention. "I think what would backfire is if the U.S. unilaterally attempted to assert influence over the outcome of the situation because that would allow Maduro to pigeonhole opposition supporters as being aligned with the U.S.," Marczak said. Moises Rendon, associate director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he sees no indication that the Trump administration is considering military intervention. Maduro has ordered U.S. diplomats to leave the country but the U.S. has refused, saying it only recognizes the authority of Guaido, who has urged foreign diplomats to stay. Rendon says the U.S. might be compelled to act if American diplomats in Caracas are endangered, but doubts there would be a military response otherwise. "I think this is only rhetoric," he said. Associated Press writers Maria Danilova and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.</s>WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Reuters) - The United States on Friday signaled it was ready to step up economic measures to try to drive Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power as some U.S. diplomats left the embassy in Caracas and Russia vowed to back its socialist South American ally.

The U.S. Treasury Department stopped short of announcing a freeze on Venezuela’s U.S. assets and accounts, but said it would take steps to ensure commercial transactions were “consistent” with its recognition this week of opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday will urge members of the United Nations Security Council to recognize Guaido. Washington requested the meeting of the 15-member council after a string of countries threw their weight behind Guaido, who heads Venezuela’s congress, and urged Maduro to step down.

Pompeo will be accompanied by former U.S. diplomat Elliott Abrams, who he named on Friday to lead U.S. efforts on Venezuela. Abrams is a neoconservative who has long advocated an activist U.S. role in the world.

Russia opposes the U.S. efforts and has accused Washington of backing a coup attempt, placing Venezuela at the heart of a growing geopolitical duel.

Private military contractors who carry out secret missions for Russia have flown into Venezuela in the past few days to beef up security for Maduro, sources said.

Maduro said he welcomed the U.N. debate. “Thanks, Mike,” he said, tongue in cheek, during a Friday news conference. “We’re going to tell the truth about the articles of the constitution, about the coup.”

Maduro on Wednesday ordered U.S. diplomats out of the country within 72 hours. On Friday, some American diplomats left the U.S. embassy in Caracas in a convoy of vehicles with a police escort en route to the airport, according to a Reuters witness.

U.N. human rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on Friday for an investigation into alleged excessive use of force by Venezuelan security forces against anti-Maduro protesters in recent days, adding that she was “extremely concerned” that the situation could rapidly spiral out of control.

Guaido, who has galvanized Venezuela’s opposition, proclaimed himself interim president on Wednesday during a march of hundreds of thousands in Caracas. He is considering making a request for funds from international institutions including the International Monetary Fund, sources said on Friday.

However, he still has no control over the Venezuelan state and the military, which has so far remained loyal to Maduro despite a deep economic and political crisis that has sparked mass emigration, with inflation forecast to rise to 10 million percent this year.

Guaido has promised future amnesties to military members if they disavow Maduro, asking soldiers on Friday to “put themselves on the side of the constitution.”

Most Latin American nations have joined the United States in supporting Guaido’s claim on the presidency, although Mexico’s new leftist government has said it would not take sides. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday his administration would be willing to mediate.

Guaido said he would reject any negotiations that did not include Maduro’s exit, the setting up of a transition government, and free elections to pick a new president.

“No one wants fake dialogue ... the only thing we want to negotiate is the end of the usurpation,” he told a crowd clustered in a plaza in Caracas’ Chacao district, an opposition stronghold.

To ratchet up pressure on Maduro, who began a second term on Jan. 10 following an election last year widely considered to be a fraud, the United States is seeking to cut off funds for his government and is considering introducing fresh sanctions, including on its vital oil sector.

Maduro warned off any attempt to take control of U.S. refiner Citgo, the country’s primary offshore asset. “It is the property of the Venezuelan people, and we will defend it,” he said.

The Maduro-appointed board of Citgo is preparing a legal strategy to defend itself against any attempts to divert its funds or change its board, sources said.

Oil prices edged higher on Friday as the political turmoil in the OPEC member threatened to tighten the global supply of crude. The U.S. has until now resisted significant oil sanctions because of the impact it would have on Venezuelan citizens already struggling with shortages.

“The oil situation has been an ethical moral dilemma for us,” said U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, the no.2 Democrat in the Senate, in an interview. “Cutting off all trade in oil would be the last step. It would make it even worse for the average person.”

The Trump administration is trying to make sure that any measures to restrict oil revenues to Maduro do not cause spikes in prices that would be felt by U.S. consumers, said Scott Modell, managing director of Rapidan Energy Group, who advises energy clients on geopolitical risks.

“How do they allow Venezuelan oil to continue to flow, while cutting off the flow of money back to Maduro and the government? That’s the general playbook they have been using for Iran, and the one they are trying to adapt to Venezuela now,” Modell said.</s>Mr Corbyn said Maduro was still the president of Venezuela and “outside interference” was not appropriate. Britain joined the US and EU to disregard Maduro as the "legitimate leader" of Venezuela. The UK believes National Assembly head Juan Guaido is "the right person to take the country forward”, the Foreign Secretary said. During a visit to Washington for talks with US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Mr Hunt said: "We are extremely concerned about the situation in Venezuela, but it is clear that Nicholas Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

"The election on May 20 was deeply flawed; ballot boxes were stuffed, there were counting irregularities and the opposition was banned.

"This regime has done untold damage to the people of Venezuela, 10% of the population have left Venezuela such is the misery they are suffering.

"So the United Kingdom believes Juan Guaido is the right person to take Venezuela forward. We are supporting the US, Canada, Brazil and Argentina to make that happen.

"I will be meeting Vice President Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo later this afternoon to discuss this further. But for anyone in the UK who thinks that Venezuela is an example, who thinks that we should be adopting the policies supported by the discredited Maduro regime, they need to look at their TV screens and think again.</s>CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro oversaw a display of the army’s Russian hardware on Sunday, with anti-aircraft flak and tank rounds pounding a hillside to show military force and loyalty in the face of an international ultimatum for new elections.

Maduro, 56, is confronting an unprecedented challenge to his authority after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president citing a fraudulent election. Guaido has won wide international support and offers amnesty to soldiers who join him.

On Sunday, Israel joined the countries backing the 35-year-old leader, and President Donald Trump’s administration said it had accepted Venezuelan opposition figure Carlos Alfredo Vecchio as the country’s diplomatic representative in the United States. [L1N1ZR0BT]

Early on Sunday, alongside Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, Maduro watched a platoon of soldiers release volleys of rocket-propelled grenades, machine-gun anti-aircraft fire and tank rounds at hillside targets, the Russian ordnance kicking up clouds of dust at the Fort of Paramacay, an armored vehicle base.

Maduro said the display showed the world he had the backing of the military, and that Venezuela’s armed forces were ready to defend the country. Maduro says Guaido is taking part in a coup directed by Trump’s hardline policy advisers, who include Cold War veterans John Bolton and Elliott Abrams.

“Nobody respects the weak, cowards, traitors. In this world, what’s respected is the brave, the courageous, power,” Maduro said.

“Nobody should even think of stepping on this sacred soil. Venezuela wants peace ... and to guarantee peace, we have to be prepared,” he said. From Feb. 10 to 15, the military is planning larger exercises that Maduro described as the “most important in the history of Venezuela.”

The show of force was accompanied by a government publicity campaign online based on the slogan “Always Loyal, Never a Traitor,” and followed a high-profile defection by the country’s top military diplomat in the United States on Saturday.

The Fort of Paramacay, about two hours west of the capital, Caracas, was itself the site of an uprising in 2017, when about 20 soldiers and armed civilians attacked the base. The leader of the attack, which was quickly subdued, said he was calling for a transitional government.

Maduro on Sunday denounced an alleged conspiracy aimed at spreading rebellion in the army, saying thousands of messages were being sent to soldiers every day over WhatsApp and other social media platforms from neighboring Colombia. He later jogged with soldiers and visited a navy base.

Guaido also sent a message to the military on Sunday, asking for support and ordering it not to repress civilians during an event in which supporters handed out copies of a proposed amnesty for people accused of crimes in the Maduro government.

“I order you not to shoot,” he said. “I order you not to repress the people.”

At a U.N. Security Council debate on Saturday, Russia and China strongly backed Maduro and rejected calls by the United States, Canada, Latin American nations and European powers for early elections.

Both Russia and China are major creditors of Venezuela. Since the government of Maduro’s late mentor, Hugo Chavez, the OPEC nation has invested heavily in Russian weaponry, including Sukhoi fighter jets and heavy armor.

The strategic alliance was in evidence last year, when two Russian nuclear-capable bombers landed in Venezuela. Reuters reported on Friday that private military contractors who do secret missions for Russia flew into Venezuela to beef up security for Maduro.

In an interview that aired on Sunday, Maduro rejected a European ultimatum to call elections within eight days and said Guaido violated the constitution by declaring himself interim leader.

“Fortunately, we don’t depend on Europe. And those arrogant, overbearing attitudes, looking down on us, because we are ‘sudacas,’ inferior to them,” he told CNN Turk.

“The leaders of Europe are sycophants, kneeling behind the policies of Donald Trump,” he said, adding he was open to dialog and that meeting Trump was improbable but not impossible.

Washington urged the world on Saturday to “pick a side” on Venezuela and financially disconnect from Maduro’s government.

Bolton, the White House national security adviser, warned on Sunday against violence or the intimidation of American diplomats in Venezuela or Guaido, saying such action would trigger a response from the United States.

Venezuela has sunk into turmoil under Maduro, with food shortages and protests amid an economic and political crisis that has sparked mass emigration and inflation seen rising to 10 million percent this year.

Britain, Germany, France and Spain all said they would recognize Guaido if Maduro failed to call new elections within eight days, an ultimatum Russia said was “absurd” and the Venezuelan foreign minister called “childlike.”

The United States, Canada, most Latin American nations and many European states say Maduro stole his second-term election win last May. The former union leader cruised to victory after blocking the main opposition candidates from running. Turnout was low.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan voiced his support for Maduro in a phone call on Thursday.</s>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Private military contractors who do secret missions for Russia flew into Venezuela in the past few days to beef up security for President Nicolas Maduro in the face of U.S.-backed opposition protests, according to two people close to them.

FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro reacts with National Electoral Council (CNE) President Tibisay Lucena during a ceremony to mark the opening of the judicial year at the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), in Caracas, Venezuela, January 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

A third source close to the Russian contractors also told Reuters there was a contingent of them in Venezuela, but could not say when they arrived or what their role was.

Russia, which has backed Maduro’s socialist government to the tune of billions of dollars, this week promised to stand by him after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself president with Washington’s endorsement.

It was the latest international crisis to split the global superpowers, with the United States and Europe backing Guaido, and Russia and China urging non-interference.

Yevgeny Shabayev, leader of a local chapter of a paramilitary group of Cossacks with ties to Russian military contractors, said he had heard the number of Russian contractors in Venezuela may be about 400.

But the other sources spoke of small groups.

Russia’s Defence Ministry and Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not respond to requests for comment about the contractors. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We have no such information.”

The contractors are associated with the so-called Wagner group whose members, mostly ex-service personnel, fought clandestinely in support of Russian forces in Syria and Ukraine, according to Reuters interviews with dozens of contractors, their friends and relatives.

A person believed to work for the Wagner group did not respond to a message asking for information.

Citing contacts in a Russian state security structure, Shabayev said the contingent flew to Venezuela at the start of this week, a day or two before opposition protests started.

CUBA CONNECTION?

He said they set off in two chartered aircraft for Havana, Cuba, from where they transferred onto regular commercial flights to Venezuela. The Cuban government, a close ally of Venezuela’s ruling socialists for the last two decades, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The contractors’ task in Venezuela was to protect Maduro from any attempt by opposition sympathizers in his own security forces to detain him, Shabayev said.

“Our people are there directly for his protection,” he said.

Venezuelan authorities said they had put down an attempted revolt on Monday by rogue military officers about a kilometer from the presidential palace in Caracas.

Maduro, the 56-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez, only takes to the streets in carefully-controlled situations, since crowds have barracked him in the past.

One of the two anonymous Russian sources, who is close to the Wagner group and fought in foreign conflicts where it was active, said the contractors first arrived in advance of the May 2018 presidential election, but another group arrived “recently.”

Asked if the deployment was linked to protecting Maduro, the source said: “It’s directly connected.” The contractors flew to Venezuela not from Moscow but from third countries where they were conducting missions, he added.

The third source, who is close to the private military contractors, said there was a contingent in Venezuela but he could not provide further details.

“They did not arrive in a big crowd,” he said.

Publicly-available flight-tracking data has shown a number of Russian government aircraft landing in or near Venezuela over past weeks, though there was no evidence the flights were connected to military contractors.

A Russian Ilyushin-96 flew into Havana late on Wednesday after starting its journey in Moscow and flying via Senegal and Paraguay, the data showed.

The aircraft, a civilian jet, is owned by a division of the Russian presidential administration, according to a publicly-available procurement contract relating to the plane.

Between Dec. 10 and Dec. 14 last year, an Antonov-124 heavy cargo aircraft, and an Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft, carried out flights between Russia and Caracas, flight-tracking data showed. Another Ilyushin-76 was in Caracas from Dec. 12 to Dec. 21 last year. All three aircraft belong to the Russian air force, according to the tracking data.</s>MOSCOW — Russia warned the U.S. on Thursday not to intervene militarily in Venezuela, saying such a move would trigger a catastrophe.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president on Wednesday, winning the backing of Washington and prompting socialist incumbent Nicolas Maduro to sever diplomatic relations with the United States. Violence flared during big protests across Venezuela, and at least seven deaths were reported.

In an interview with Russian journal International Affairs published on Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would stand with Venezuela to protect its sovereignty and the principle of non-interference in its domestic affairs.

Asked about the prospect of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, Ryabkov said Washington should steer well clear.

"We warn against that," he said. "We consider that would be a catastrophic scenario that would shake the foundations of the development model which we see in Latin America."

President Donald Trump has promised to use the "full weight" of U.S. economic and diplomatic power to push for the restoration of Venezuela's democracy.

The prospect of Maduro being ousted is a geopolitical and economic headache for Moscow which, alongside China, has become a lender of last resort for Caracas, lending it billions of dollars as its economy implodes. Millions of people have fled the country in recent years to escape sky-high inflation and food shortages.

Ryabkov did not mention Maduro by name, but made clear Moscow backed his government.

"Venezuela is friendly to us and is our strategic partner," he said. "We have supported them and will support them."

Russia has also provided military support to Maduro, who has led the oil-rich nation since 2013.

Two Russian strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons landed in Venezuela last month in a show of a support that infuriated Washington.

Maduro visited Moscow in December, seeking Russia's political and financial support.

China also called on the U.S. to stay out of Venezuela's political crisis and said it opposes all outside intervention there. Over the last decade, China has given Venezuela $65 billion in loans, cash and investment. Venezuela owes more than $20 billion.

Iran described the opposition's claim there that it holds the presidency as a "coup" and an attempt to take over power unlawfully.

And a senior official said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had called Maduro to voice his support. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweeted early Thursday that the leader of the NATO member told Maduro: "'My brother Maduro! Stay strong, we are by your side.'"

However, while the European Union called for Venezuelan authorities to respect the "civil rights, freedom and safety" of Guaido it stopped short of following Washington and recognizing him as interim president.

Guaido, 35, was a virtually unknown lawmaker at the start of the year.

Tensions began ramping up earlier this month as Maduro took the oath of office for a second six-year term won in an election last May that many in the region contend was not free or fair because his strongest opponents were barred from running.

But Guaido declared Wednesday that the constitution gives him, as president of the congress, the authority to take over as interim president and form a transitional government.</s>Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro prepared to rally his military supporters on Thursday as the US and key allies backed a challenge from his leading rival, who declared himself acting president.

The announcement by Juan Guaido, 35, head of Venezuela’s opposition-led legislature, came amid a fresh wave of deadly street clashes on Wednesday.

He declared himself acting leader of the oil-rich nation, which has lurched into economic chaos and violence under Maduro, 56.

The Socialist government responded by warning that the top military leadership would come out in support of the constitutional president, defence minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said.

He said the military would show backing for the sovereignty of Venezuela.

That was a warning shot to Maduro’s foreign critics as they rallied behind Guaido.

US President Donald Trump declared Maduro illegitimate and called the National Assembly legislature the only legitimate branch of government.

A furious Maduro responded to the US move by breaking off diplomatic ties with the “imperialist” US government, giving its diplomats 72 hours to leave.

The US state department said it did not recognise Maduro as president any more, so his order meant nothing.

France added its support for Guaido, also branding Maduro illegitimate and calling for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.

Maduro’s key ally Russia, meanwhile, denounced Guaido’s bid as a usurpation of power and condemned what it called foreign interference in Venezuela.

“This is a direct path to lawlessness and bloodshed,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

Maduro’s key financial backer China also weighed in.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China opposed interference in Venezuelan affairs and called for a political resolution.

Guaido’s pronouncement capped days of unrest that have seen 13 people killed, the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict said.

They were the first mass street protests in Venezuela since a peak of violence in April and July 2017, when 125 people died in clashes.

Riot police fired teargas and rubber bullets at opposition protesters in one Caracas suburb, while television pictures also showed armoured vehicles in the capital.

Thousands of Maduro supporters converged outside the presidential palace, Miraflores, to oppose what they said was a US-backed opposition coup attempt.

Elsewhere in Caracas, tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Backed by Venezuela's military, President Nicolas Maduro went on the offensive against an opposition leader who declared himself interim president and his U.S. supporters, setting up a potentially explosive struggle for power in the crisis-plagued South American nation.

A defiant Maduro called home all Venezuelan diplomats from the United States and closed its embassy on Thursday, a day after ordering all U.S. diplomats out of Venezuela by the weekend because President Donald Trump had supported the presidential claim of Juan Guaido. Washington has refused to comply, but ordered its non-essential staff to leave the tumultuous country, citing security concerns.

The Trump administration says Maduro's order isn't legal because the U.S. no longer recognizes him as Venezuela's legitimate leader.

"They believe they have a colonial hold in Venezuela, where they decide what they want to do," Maduro said in an address broadcast live on state TV. "You must fulfill my order from the government of Venezuela."

Meanwhile, all eyes were on Guaido whose whereabouts have been a mystery since the 35-year-old was symbolically sworn in Wednesday before tens of thousands of cheering supporters, promising to uphold the constitution and rid Venezuela of Maduro's dictatorship.

Speaking from an undisclosed location, Guaido told Univision he would consider granting amnesty to Maduro and his allies if they helped return Venezuela to democracy.

"Amnesty is on the table," said Guaido, who just weeks earlier was named head of the opposition-controlled congress. "Those guarantees are for all those who are willing to side with the constitution to recover the constitutional order."

Besides the United States, much of the international community rallied behind Guaido, with Canada and numerous Latin American and European countries announcing that they recognized his claim to the presidency. Trump promised to use the "full weight" of U.S. economic and diplomatic power to push for the restoration of Venezuela's democracy.

Maduro has been increasingly accused of undemocratic behavior by his opponents, and has presided over skyrocketing inflation, a collapsing economy and widespread shortages of basic goods.

Meanwhile, Russia, China, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Turkey have voiced their backing for Maduro's government.

China's Foreign Ministry called on the United States to stay out of the crisis, while Russia's deputy foreign minister warned the U.S. against any military intervention in Venezuela. Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the information committee at the Russian Federation Council, called Guaido's declaration "an attempted coup" backed by the U.S.

Russia has been propping up Maduro with arms deliveries and loans. Maduro visited Moscow in December, seeking Russia's political and financial support. Over the last decade, China has given Venezuela $65 billion in loans, cash and investment. Venezuela owes more than $20 billion.

Diplomats at the Organization of American States held an emergency meeting Thursday on the Venezuelan crisis, during which 16 nations recognized Guaido as interim president.

Domestically, attention has been on Venezuela's military, a traditional arbiter of political disputes in the country, as a critical indicator of whether the opposition will succeed in establishing a new government.

Venezuela's top military brass pledged their unwavering support to Maduro, delivering vows of loyalty Thursday before rows of green-uniformed officers on state television.

A half-dozen generals belonging largely to district commands and with direct control over thousands of troops joined Maduro in accusing Washington of meddling in Venezuela's affairs and said they would uphold the socialist leader's rule.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, a key Maduro ally, dismissed efforts to install a "de-facto parallel government" as tantamount to a coup.

"It's not a war between Venezuelans that will solve our problems," he said. "It's dialogue."

Guaido has said he needs the backing of three critical groups: The people, the international community and the military. While yesterday's protest drew tens of thousands to the streets and over a dozen nations in the region are pledging support, the military's backing is key.

Though many rank-and-file troops suffer the same hardships as countless other Venezuelans when it comes to meeting basic needs like feeding their families, Maduro has worked to cement their support with bonuses and other special benefits.

In a video addressing the military earlier this week, Guiado said the constitution requires them to disavow Maduro after his May 2018 re-election, which was widely condemned by the international community because his main opponents were banned from running.

But there were no signs that security forces were widely heeding Guaido's call to go easy on demonstrators.

Gunfire during the protests and looting left 21 dead between Wednesday and early Thursday in the capital of Caracas and throughout the country, reported Marco Ponce, coordinator of the non-profit Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict.

Many Venezuelans were looking for Guaido to re-emerge and provide guidance on the opposition's next steps.

Guaido, a virtually unknown lawmaker at the start of the year, has reignited the hopes of Venezuela's often beleaguered opposition by taking a rebellious tack amid Venezuela's crushing economic crisis.

He escalated his campaign Wednesday by declaring that the constitution gives him, as president of the congress, the authority to take over as interim president and form a transitional government until he calls new elections.

Armario reported from Bogota, Colombia. Associated Press writers Josh Goodman and Fabiola Sanchez in Caracas contributed to this report.</s>Backed by Venezuela's military, President Nicolas Maduro went on the offensive against an opposition leader who declared himself interim president and his U.S. supporters, setting up a potentially explosive struggle for power in the crisis-plagued South American nation.

A defiant Maduro called home all Venezuelan diplomats from the United States and closed its embassy on Thursday, a day after ordering all U.S. diplomats out of Venezuela by the weekend because President Donald Trump had supported the presidential claim of Juan Guaido. Washington has refused to comply, but ordered its non-essential staff to leave the tumultuous country, citing security concerns.

The Trump administration says Maduro's order isn't legal because the U.S. no longer recognizes him as Venezuela's legitimate leader.

"They believe they have a colonial hold in Venezuela, where they decide what they want to do," Maduro said in an address broadcast live on state TV. "You must fulfill my order from the government of Venezuela."

Meanwhile, all eyes were on Guaido whose whereabouts have been a mystery since the 35-year-old was symbolically sworn in Wednesday before tens of thousands of cheering supporters, promising to uphold the constitution and rid Venezuela of Maduro's dictatorship.

Speaking from an undisclosed location, Guaido told Univision he would consider granting amnesty to Maduro and his allies if they helped return Venezuela to democracy.

"Amnesty is on the table," said Guaido, who just weeks earlier was named head of the opposition-controlled congress. "Those guarantees are for all those who are willing to side with the constitution to recover the constitutional order."

Besides the United States, much of the international community rallied behind Guaido, with Canada and numerous Latin American and European countries announcing that they recognized his claim to the presidency. Trump promised to use the "full weight" of U.S. economic and diplomatic power to push for the restoration of Venezuela's democracy.

Maduro has been increasingly accused of undemocratic behavior by his opponents, and has presided over skyrocketing inflation, a collapsing economy and widespread shortages of basic goods.

Meanwhile, Russia, China, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Turkey have voiced their backing for Maduro's government.

China's Foreign Ministry called on the United States to stay out of the crisis, while Russia's deputy foreign minister warned the U.S. against any military intervention in Venezuela. Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the information committee at the Russian Federation Council, called Guaido's declaration "an attempted coup" backed by the U.S.

Russia has been propping up Maduro with arms deliveries and loans. Maduro visited Moscow in December, seeking Russia's political and financial support. Over the last decade, China has given Venezuela $65 billion in loans, cash and investment. Venezuela owes more than $20 billion.

Diplomats at the Organization of American States held an emergency meeting Thursday on the Venezuelan crisis, during which 16 nations recognized Guaido as interim president.

Domestically, attention has been on Venezuela's military, a traditional arbiter of political disputes in the country, as a critical indicator of whether the opposition will succeed in establishing a new government.

Venezuela's top military brass pledged their unwavering support to Maduro, delivering vows of loyalty Thursday before rows of green-uniformed officers on state television.

A half-dozen generals belonging largely to district commands and with direct control over thousands of troops joined Maduro in accusing Washington of meddling in Venezuela's affairs and said they would uphold the socialist leader's rule.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, a key Maduro ally, dismissed efforts to install a "de-facto parallel government" as tantamount to a coup.

"It's not a war between Venezuelans that will solve our problems," he said. "It's dialogue."

Guaido has said he needs the backing of three critical groups: The people, the international community and the military. While yesterday's protest drew tens of thousands to the streets and over a dozen nations in the region are pledging support, the military's backing is key.

Though many rank-and-file troops suffer the same hardships as countless other Venezuelans when it comes to meeting basic needs like feeding their families, Maduro has worked to cement their support with bonuses and other special benefits.

In a video addressing the military earlier this week, Guiado said the constitution requires them to disavow Maduro after his May 2018 re-election, which was widely condemned by the international community because his main opponents were banned from running.

But there were no signs that security forces were widely heeding Guaido's call to go easy on demonstrators.

Gunfire during the protests and looting left 21 dead between Wednesday and early Thursday in the capital of Caracas and throughout the country, reported Marco Ponce, coordinator of the non-profit Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict.

Many Venezuelans were looking for Guaido to re-emerge and provide guidance on the opposition's next steps.

Guaido, a virtually unknown lawmaker at the start of the year, has reignited the hopes of Venezuela's often beleaguered opposition by taking a rebellious tack amid Venezuela's crushing economic crisis.

He escalated his campaign Wednesday by declaring that the constitution gives him, as president of the congress, the authority to take over as interim president and form a transitional government until he calls new elections.

Armario reported from Bogota, Colombia. Associated Press writers Josh Goodman and Fabiola Sanchez in Caracas contributed to this report.
Reuters reports that Russian private military contractors belonging to the Wagner Group have flown into Venezuela to help guard President Nicolás Maduro, and that Russia supports Maduro's disputed government.