Venezuelan Opposition Leader Calls for Military Uprising, Declaring ‘Final Stage’ of Plan to Oust Maduro

Juan Guaidó, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-held parliament, has taken to the streets of Caracas with a small group of armed soldiers, calling for a military uprising against authoritarian president Nicolás Maduro and declaring that the country had entered “the final phase of Operation Freedom.”

In a video live-streamed on Twitter Tuesday morning, Guaidó is seen standing at La Carlota airbase in Caracas, flanked by a few dozen troops and Leopoldo López, an opposition politician who has been under house arrest since 2014, when he lead a series of protests against the government. Lopez said that members of the military had freed him on Guaidó’s orders.

The AP reported that troops loyal to Maduro fired tear gas from inside the airbase on to a nearby highway overpass, where Lopez was addressing a crowd of civilians.

Maduro’s information minister said that the government was putting down a rebellion of “a small group of military traitors.”

Speaking on state television, the ruling Socialist Party’s chief Diosdado Cabello urged supporters of the government to go to the presidential palace in Caracas to “defend the revolution, to defend Nicolas and to defend the legacy of [former president] Hugo Chávez.”

Internet freedom monitor VE Sin Filtro reported that the state-run internet service provider had blocked YouTube and other google services. Some people were also experiencing difficulties accessing Twitter, they said. The opposition relies heavily on social media to communicate with supporters.

The opposition has called mass anti-government protests for Wednesday, May 1.

“Right now I am meeting with the main military units of our Armed Forces, beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom,” Guaidó said, referring to the opposition’s attempt to oust Maduro’s regime.

Guaidó and Maduro have been locked in a stand-off over control of Venezuela since January, when Guaidó claimed that Maduro’s second presidential term, won in elections many consider to be rigged, was invalid and constituted a vacuum of power. As parliament leader, the opposition claims the constitution mandates Guaidó temporarily take over the presidency to organize fresh elections.

The U.S. and 50 other mostly western countries have recognized Guaidó as president, while Maduro retains the backing of Russia, China and Turkey.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated the Trump Administration’s support for Guaidó in a tweet Tuesday.

The military’s continued backing of Maduro has been decisive in keeping him in power. The opposition has so far failed to win over significant number of troops to their cause.

“These have been years of fear,” Guaidó said in the live-stream, referring to the humanitarian and political crisis that has gripped Venezuela since the beginning of its economic collapse in 2014. “That fear ends today. I call on all soldiers, all of our military family, to accompany us in our fight […] on the basis of the constitution, which has always been non-violent.”

Maduro responded to Guaidó’s speech late Tuesday morning, saying he had spoken to commanders of all Venezuela’s regional defense forces and they had “shown their total loyalty to the People, the Constitution and the Country”. He called for a mass demonstration of his supporters to “ensure the triumph of peace.”