Opposition Leader Declares Himself Venezuela’s President

President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela “faced the most direct challenge to his power Wednesday, when an opposition leader swore himself in as the nation’s legitimate president, cheered on by tens of thousands of supporters and a growing number of governments, including the Trump administration,” the New York Times reports.

“The fast-moving developments convulsing the impoverished country appeared to give momentum to the opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, a 35-year-old politician who stepped onto the national stage just recently.”

“But Mr. Maduro dismissed the move, derisively calling it an American-led plot to overthrow him. He said he was cutting all remaining diplomatic relations with the United States.”

Washington Post: “The dramatic developments came as anti-Maduro protests drew hundreds of thousands of people into Venezuelan streets.”