On Tuesday April 30th, opposition leader Juan Guaido urged Venezuelans to take to the streets, as he announced that the final phase of the operation to topple President Nicolás Maduro is underway.
As people were demonstrating on the streets, military vehicles appeared to plow into opposition protesters in Caracas, as seen on a CNN video from the ground.
The opposition protesters appeared to be throwing objects at the vehicles immediately before they drove toward them. The video shows the vehicles knocking down the protesters.
Protesters took to the streets today Tuesday April 30th, after the leader of Venezuela’s opposition declared he was “beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom,” promising to bring an end to the government of Nicolás Maduro.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido — who declared himself interim president in January — has been recognized as Venezuela’s leader by dozens of other countries.
Venezuelan military colonel reportedly shot during clashes
Around 1:00 PM local time, a military colonel was reportedly shot during clashes with the opposition on the Francisco Fajardo highway, Venezuela’s Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino tweeted.
Venezuela’s Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino
“At the moment entering the operating room. I hold the opposition political leadership responsible,” Padrino tweeted in Spanish at 12:35 p.m. ET.
Here’s a look at some of the countries that support Guaido and the opposition:
- Brazil: The country’s far-right President, Jair Bolsonaro, tweeted his support for Guaidó and “the freedom of Venezuelans.”
- Colombia President Ivan Duque tweeted Tuesday: “We call on the military and the people of Venezuela to be on the right side of history, rejecting dictatorship and usurpation of Maduro; joining together in search of freedom, democracy and institutional reconstruction headed by @AsambleaVE and the President @jguaido.”
- Ecuador: The country’s Foreign Minister José Valencia tweeted: “The Government of Ecuador renews its strong support to President Juan Guaidó in the difficult times that Venezuela is going through. We wish for a peaceful transition without bloodshed. We will support all international efforts in that regard.”
- The US: President Trump and his administration have recognized Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela since January.
Meanwhile, Cuban and Russian officials have rejected the opposition. And Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he retains his neutral position on Venezuela.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/
