Opponents of Maduro Take Control of Three Venezuelan Diplomatic Centers in the U.S.

Supporters of Juan Guaidó, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, claim to have taken control of three of their country's diplomatic centers in the United States. Carlos Vecchio, appointed by Guaidó as Venezuela's 'ambassador' to the U.S., stated on March 18 that these three centers include two buildings belonging to the Venezuelan Ministry of Defense and a consular office in New York. Guaidó has challenged the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela, and has sworn in as the interim president of the country. He has the support of the U.S. and over 50 other countries that are calling for presidential elections in Venezuela. Vecchio mentioned that the opposition will also take control of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington in the coming days. He stated, 'We are recovering, preserving, and safeguarding the assets of the Venezuelan people to prevent their theft and destruction by the illegitimate government (of Venezuela), as has happened over the past 20 years.' Vecchio's reference to the past 20 years pertains to the period during which Hugo Chávez and then Nicolás Maduro have held power. Chávez was president from 1999 until his death in 2013, and Maduro, his vice president, has been in power since 2013. Maduro's opponents accuse him of undermining democratic institutions and steering the country toward dictatorship. They consider last year's presidential election to be 'illegal.' However, Maduro has rejected calls for new elections, asserting that he is the legitimate president of Venezuela. Jorge Arreaza, the foreign minister in Maduro's government, described the control of Venezuelan diplomatic centers in the U.S. as an 'illegal occupation' of these premises. The Maduro government stated that these actions 'seriously violate the international obligations of the United States government.' A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed that the U.S. government has supported the opposition's control of the diplomatic centers. Earlier this year, in early January, Donald Trump, the U.S. president, recognized Guaidó's interim presidency. Venezuela subsequently severed its relations with the U.S., which ordered the departure of many diplomatic staff and their families from Venezuela. On March 10, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, ordered the remaining American staff and diplomats to leave Venezuela, stating that this decision 'reflects the worsening situation in Venezuela and concludes that the presence of U.S. diplomatic staff at the embassy (in Caracas) has faced limitations on U.S. policies.'