After President Trump recognized Venezuela's chief opposition leader, President Nicolás Maduro severed ties with the U. S.
Washington — The White House issued a strong warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday, saying that any violence against American diplomats or National Assembly President Juan Guaidó would elicit a „significant response“ from the U. S. government. Guaidó has been recognized by the Trump administration and more than a dozen other countries as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
„Any violence and intimidation against U. S. diplomatic personnel, Venezuela’s democratic leader, Juan Guiado, or the National Assembly itself would represent a grave assault on the rule of law and will be met with a significant response,“ national security adviser John Bolton wrote on Twitter.
Bolton also wrote that the Cuban government’s support to Maduro’s security forces and pro-government paramilitary units is „well known.“ Although Havana has been a staunch ally of Maduro’s regime, Cuban officials pushed back against Bolton’s accusation.
Venezuela has been roiled by large protests for days against Maduro’s repressive government and his handling of the nation’s collapsing economy — once considered to be one of the strongest in Latin America. After Guaidó, who leads the only opposition-controlled body in Venezuela, declared himself interim president on Wednesday, President Trump and other heads of states across the region shunned Maduro and announced their support for the young opposition leader.
