U.S. Recognition of Guaidó as Venezuela’s President Could Have Big Consequences by Adam Taylor – Washington Post
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it would no longer recognize Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela, instead offering its formal support for opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who was elected leader of the Venezuelan congress earlier this month.
“The citizens of Venezuela have suffered for too long at the hands of the illegitimate Maduro regime,” President Trump said on Twitter.
The 35-year-old Guaidó has become a figurehead for anti-Maduro protests since the Venezuelan president was inaugurated to a second term following a widely disputed election. While the body that Guaidó is in charge of — the opposition-controlled National Assembly — holds little practical power, it is widely viewed internationally as a symbol of democracy.
Guaidó declared himself president Wednesday amid huge opposition street protests than left at least one person dead by midday. Recognition from the United States may well bolster his case — though it will probably present considerable complications to the U.S.-Venezuela relationship…