Amid the inauguration of Nicolás Maduro’s second term as President of Venezuela, the leader of the National Assembly (AN), Juan Guaidó (Voluntad Popular – opposition), was proclaimed January 11 the interim president of Venezuela. The cited reason for the move is the alleged “usurpation” of the presidency by Maduro, considered illegitimate by the opponents of Chavism and by numerous Latin American governments including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Peru. The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, supports Guaidó. For his part, Nicolás Maduro affirms that this is an attempted coup d’état and has called on Venezuelans to be united.

Juan Guaidó asked for the support of citizens, the military and the international community to assume command of the Executive branch and call new elections. The public official, backed by members of the National Assembly, assumed the powers of the Presidency of the Republic “because it is usurped by Maduro”. In addition, he summoned Venezuelans to a national march next January 23 to express their support for the interim government.

Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for his second term as President of Venezuela January 10, in the midst of international criticism for the lack of electoral transparency and an unprecedented economic crisis. In his inaugural address, Maduro maintained that there is a democracy in his country reasoning that in 19 years of Chavism over 20 elections have been held. Yet only six Latin American countries recognize his new term: Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico and Uruguay. The rest of the states in the region consider it illegitimate. Paraguay even broke diplomatic relations with Venezuela.

Should you wish to learn more about the background – economic, political, social, regional – against which the inauguration of Maduro’s next term as president took place in Venezuela, please read the following report by Directorio Legislativo. The report discusses the Venezuelan economy, the power of the ruling party, the role of the opposition and the regional context, among other issues.