ASUNCION (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, visiting Paraguay on Friday to raise support for a change of government in his country, said that 600 members of the military had abandoned the government of President Nicolas Maduro in recent days.

Guaido, head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, has invoked constitutional provisions to assume an interim presidency, arguing that Maduro’s re-election last year was fraudulent. Guaido has since been recognized by most Western nations as the rightful leader of Venezuela.

However, Maduro still retains the loyalty of the bulk of Venezuela’s armed forces and controls state institutions.

“In the next few hours we will announce new protest marches,” Guaido said in Asuncion at a news conference, after meeting with Paraguayan leader Mario Abdo, who received the opposition figure as a head of state.

“We have spoken clearly to the Armed Forces of Venezuela. They have seen more than 600 officers in recent days switch to side with the constitution,” he added. “There is a very clear process of transition to democracy.”

His press team said he was scheduled to go to Argentina later on Friday to meet with President Mauricio Macri, a strong critic of Maduro. In a speech earlier on Friday, Macri said his government was playing a regional role “to condemn human rights violations in Venezuela and recognize the president in charge, Juan Guaido.”

Argentina’s foreign ministry confirmed the two would meet in Buenos Aires and that Guaido would hold a news conference.

Guaido has been traveling around the region, seeking to drum up support. He has visited Brazil and Colombia this week, but said he would return to Caracas by Monday, where he faces possible arrest for disobeying a Supreme Court order that he should not leave the country pending an investigation.

The United States, which backs Guaido, has imposed fresh sanctions on six Venezuelan security officials and revoked the visas of dozens of associates and their families with ties to Maduro, it said on Friday. </s> El Gobierno argentino informó este domingo que comenzará a recibir denuncias sobre posibles violaciones a los derechos humanos que se hayan cometido en Venezuela. La iniciativa estará a cargo del Ministerio de Justicia, que se encargará de tomar todos los testimonios e información de víctimas que hayan sufrido o tengan conocimiento de este tipo de hechos.

Esos datos serán luego analizados y se evaluará su remisión a los organismos internacionales competentes, con la intención de contribuir a detener y remediar estos delitos, según detallaron desde la cartera de Germán Garavano.

En caso de ser necesario, se reservará la identidad de quienes concurran a realizar las denuncias, de acuerdo con lo que establecen los estándares mundiales. En la misma línea, las autoridades argentinas invitaron a distintas instituciones de la sociedad civil a participar como observadores de este operativo.

Según recalcaron desde el Gobierno, esta decisión se tomó en el marco del informe que elaboró la Alta Comisionada para los Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas, Michelle Bachelet, en el que cuestiona duramente la situación de Venezuela.

Además, desde el Ministerio de Justicia explicaron que con este tipo de tareas están cumpliendo con los compromisos y obligaciones internacionales que firmó el país en esta materia.

Las denuncias se podrán hacer en el Centro de Orientación a Migrantes, ubicado sobre la calle Presidente Luis Sáenz Peña al 1626, en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, entre el 24 y 27, y entre el 29 y 31 de julio, de 10:00 a 20:00. El Gobierno también habilitó la línea telefónica 149 de asistencia a la víctima, que funciona las 24 horas y en la que se brinda mayores detalles sobre este procedimiento.

La Argentina, Perú, Canadá, Colombia, Chile y Paraguay ya realizaron una presentación ante la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI) respecto a las posibles violaciones a los derechos humanos en Venezuela.

El enfrentamiento entre Mauricio Macri y Nicolás Maduro

En la última cumbre de Jefes de Estado del Mercosur, el presidente Mauricio Macri reiteró sus críticas hacia el régimen chavista de Nicolás Maduro. "Le demandamos que deje de obstruir la transición democrática y que cese con las violaciones de derechos humanos de los venezolanos", planteó.

En ese sentido, el mandatario argentino reforzó su apoyo al presidente encargado Juan Guaidó y lo reconoció como "única autoridad legítima en Venezuela". "Quiero expresar una vez más mi solidaridad con el pueblo venezolano que sufre una crisis humanitaria sin precedentes en la región", manifestó en la reunión.
President Mauricio Macri and Justice and Human Rights Minister of Argentina Germán Garavano say that Argentina will start to receive reports of human rights abuses and criminal accusations against the Venezuelan government. Macri also reiterates his support for Juan Guaidó.