Venezuelan Opposition Leader Declares Himself President, With Trump Backing

US. President Donald Trump formally recognized Juan Guaidó, the leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly, as the country’s interim president on Wednesday, just minutes after the young lawmaker took an informal oath of office declaring himself the country’s leader before a cheering crowd of tens of thousands in Caracas during nationwide demonstrations meant to challenge the ruling regime.

Other countries followed the United States’ lead: By Wednesday afternoon, within hours of Trump’s announcement, Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Canada all publicly backed Guaidó, in what has become a momentous challenge to nominal Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s grip on power.

Now Maduro’s fate still hangs in the balance, just under two weeks after he was sworn in for a second term. His re-election last year was widely viewed as illegitimate by the international community and Venezuelan opposition, with low turnout and accusations of massive voting irregularities.