Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó urged his fellow countrymen to put in “more effort” to topple dictator Nicolás Maduro’s socialist regime, organizing a massive rally for Saturday.
Guaidó, who was sworn in in January as the constitutionally legitimate president of Venezuela, said in a video on Twitter that people must also make a “greater sacrifice” to remove Maduro from power.
“I will assume my responsibility and ask you to assume your role in this fight because here there are no magic dates or quick departures,” he said. “This will require more effort and greater sacrifice.”
Millions of Venezuelans have taken to the streets for years to demand their freedom. Hundreds of individuals have been imprisoned, tortured, and sacrificed their lives for the anti-Maduro cause.
Since assuming office, Guaidó has failed in his objective of removing Maduro. He failed to persuade the military to renounce the regime and recognize him as the rightful president and has also refrained from asking the U.S. and neighboring countries for military assistance.
Instead, he has entered multiple rounds of negotiations with socialist officials, all of which ended without agreement. The country’s economic and humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with thousands of Venezuelans fleeing the country every day to neighboring countries.
In an interview with El Nacional, Hans Wuerich, who made headlines in 2017 for being sprayed with pepper bullets as he confronted armored vehicles naked and holding just a Bible, accused Guaidó of treachery over dialogue with the regime.
“It is good that he became president because this is constitutional. However, it is a shame that Guaidó, a self-declared socialist, does not have the courage to request military aid,” he said. “There is a clear discontent over negotiations and dialogues which took place behind the backs of Venezuelans, causing the vast majority to lose faith in this supposed leadership.”
Guaidó has pledged to push forward with his efforts to take control of the crisis-stricken country, announcing a new plan that consists of several measures at the national and international levels to mobilize millions of Venezuelans.
“We continue the path of popular pressure, which will involve the mobilization of millions, to bring together everyone at the right time so our voice resonates with the [military] forces that swore to defend the people and the constitution,” he wrote on Twitter.
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