Juan Guaido, previously seen by 50 countries as the “Venezuelan president”, lands in the US seeking refuge

Starting last November, the Biden administration began easing oil sanctions on Venezuela and restarted negotiations with the government of President Nicolás Maduro, also as part of mediation efforts to broker peace with the U.S.-backed opposition. USA

The United States had also been struggling to free up oil and energy resources amid the Ukraine war and sanctions efforts against Russia. This was against the backdrop of Trump’s earlier regime change efforts in Venezuela, when opposition leader Juan Guaido had been dubbed by Washington as the “interim president” for years.

But “President” Guaidó had no power at any time within the socialist country, yet Washington got many dozens of its allies on board the political fiction. At one point, the US government bragged about it 50 countries officially supported Guaido as leader.

The idea was that he could gather enough support on the street, eliminating military units in the process, in order to stage a successful coup. The closest this scenario came to being realized was in April 2019, but it wasn’t really “close” at all, it was an embarrassment for the US and the opposition. There were other strange coup attempt moments to follow, with alleged American fingerprints.

But times have definitely changed: Maduro is more in charge than ever, thanks to the recognition of Biden officials and negotiators, and Juan Guaido has fled after landing in Miami on Tuesday to seek “refuge” in the United States..

The Washington Post reports that he literally had to cross the border into Colombia before leaving for the US:

The 39-year-old engineer, who at one point was recognized by the United States and more than 50 other countries as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, he had entered Colombia “on foot”. Colombian President Gustavo Petro hosted an international summit in Bogota on Tuesday with the aim of starting a dialogue between the Venezuelan government and its adversaries.

Guaido he arrived in Bogotá but was “kicked out” of the country.

Guaidó then complained in a social media video that “the persecution of the dictatorship has unfortunately spread to Colombia today,” but that Colombian officials denied. They only said he entered the country “irregularly”.

WaPo further details that he “arrived in Miami on a commercial flight Tuesday morning, alone and with a backpack.” He also “told reporters he feared for his wife and two children, who he said had been threatened and were in danger.”

LAST HOUR | Guaidó arrived in Miami after Petro’s government-ordered deportation: His first statements upon arriving in the US (Photos and videos). https://t.co/YJuApMSaSb pic.twitter.com/Pbc1T1xCm3

— AlbertoRodNews (@AlbertoRodNews) April 25, 2023

Guaido entered the United States on a tourist visa and is considering whether or not to seek asylum. An asylum entry could mean he would never be allowed to set foot in Venezuela again as long as Maduro remains in power.

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