Guaido left Venezuela on 22 February defying a travel ban by Venezuela’s Supreme Court. He announced his return to his homeland on 4 March following a trip across Latin America.
Venezuela's self proclaimed interim president, Juan Guaido, has announced his intention of returning to his homeland from Ecuador, a move that would likely result in his arrest by Venezuelan authorities for violating a court-imposed travel ban ordering him not to leave the country.
Guaido announced his departure from a naval air base in the Ecuadorian coastal town of Salinas on Twitter on Sunday, thanking Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno. He did not disclose his location and has not appeared in public since.
Guaido recently also visited the leaders of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina to rally support and build pressure on Venezuela's acting president, Nicolas Maduro, to resign.
During a Periscope broadcast Juan Guaido, a key Venezuelan opposition figure and self-proclaimed interim president, has warned Caracas against arresting him or his wife promising that otherwise Maduro's government will face repercussions.
"[If Maduro's government] tries to kidnap us […] it will be one of the last mistakes it makes", he said.
Guaido also called for the Venezuelan people to mobilise against Maduro's government upon his return to the country. He plans on returning on Monday, calling for Venezuelans to gather for protests starting at 11:00 a.m. (1500 UTC) during the crisis-ridden South American country's Carnival celebrations.
His warnings have been supported by Washington with US National Security Advisor John Bolton promising that Caracas will face "a strong and significant response from the US and the international community" if Guaido's safe return to Venezuela is hindered.
Read: U.S. Military Adventure Against Venezuela Must Be Stopped
Guaido left Venezuela for a Latin American tour on 22 February disobeying a travel ban imposed on him by the Venezuelan Supreme Court. According to Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice, Juan Carlos Valdez, Guaido may face up to 30 years in jail for breaching the travel ban.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly slammed Guaido as a "US puppet" and accused Washington of trying to stage a coup in Venezuela.
Guaido proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela calling for Maduro's resignation. The US and around 50 other countries have recognised his claims. At the same time, Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia, Iran, Turkey and a number of other states have refused to recognise him and called to support the legitimate government of constitutionally elected President Nicolas Maduro.
Guaido announced his departure from a naval air base in the Ecuadorian coastal town of Salinas on Twitter on Sunday, thanking Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno. He did not disclose his location and has not appeared in public since.
Guaido recently also visited the leaders of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina to rally support and build pressure on Venezuela's acting president, Nicolas Maduro, to resign.
During a Periscope broadcast Juan Guaido, a key Venezuelan opposition figure and self-proclaimed interim president, has warned Caracas against arresting him or his wife promising that otherwise Maduro's government will face repercussions.
"[If Maduro's government] tries to kidnap us […] it will be one of the last mistakes it makes", he said.
Guaido also called for the Venezuelan people to mobilise against Maduro's government upon his return to the country. He plans on returning on Monday, calling for Venezuelans to gather for protests starting at 11:00 a.m. (1500 UTC) during the crisis-ridden South American country's Carnival celebrations.
His warnings have been supported by Washington with US National Security Advisor John Bolton promising that Caracas will face "a strong and significant response from the US and the international community" if Guaido's safe return to Venezuela is hindered.
Read: U.S. Military Adventure Against Venezuela Must Be Stopped
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly slammed Guaido as a "US puppet" and accused Washington of trying to stage a coup in Venezuela.
Guaido proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela calling for Maduro's resignation. The US and around 50 other countries have recognised his claims. At the same time, Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia, Iran, Turkey and a number of other states have refused to recognise him and called to support the legitimate government of constitutionally elected President Nicolas Maduro.
The UN Security Council voted on two resolutions on Venezuela but failed to pass either one as the United States, Russia, and China clashed over the issue on Thursday.
Out of 15 Council members, nine countries, including Germany, France and the UK, voted in favor of the US-pitched draft which calls for a "peaceful restoration of democracy" and fair presidential elections, and expressed "deep concern" over aid blocks. However, Russia and China vetoed the document, with Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia saying the text was "written for regime change, disguised as care for people."
"We have all seen this already in Libya, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan," he said.
Moscow put forward a rival document, which also called for a solution "through peaceful means," but noted concern over threats to use military force against the government led by Nicolas Maduro. The document also proposed all humanitarian aid deliveries be agreed with Maduro's officials. The draft received backing from four of the members: Russia, China, South Africa and Equatorial Guinea. The United States also signalled it would use its veto if the document gained a majority.
US envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams decried countries that "continue to shield Maduro and his cronies and prolong the suffering of the Venezuelan people."
Separately, Uruguay's former-President Jose Mujica warned of danger of a "new interventionist step" starting a war in Venezuela.
Out of 15 Council members, nine countries, including Germany, France and the UK, voted in favor of the US-pitched draft which calls for a "peaceful restoration of democracy" and fair presidential elections, and expressed "deep concern" over aid blocks. However, Russia and China vetoed the document, with Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia saying the text was "written for regime change, disguised as care for people."
"We have all seen this already in Libya, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan," he said.
Moscow put forward a rival document, which also called for a solution "through peaceful means," but noted concern over threats to use military force against the government led by Nicolas Maduro. The document also proposed all humanitarian aid deliveries be agreed with Maduro's officials. The draft received backing from four of the members: Russia, China, South Africa and Equatorial Guinea. The United States also signalled it would use its veto if the document gained a majority.
US envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams decried countries that "continue to shield Maduro and his cronies and prolong the suffering of the Venezuelan people."
Separately, Uruguay's former-President Jose Mujica warned of danger of a "new interventionist step" starting a war in Venezuela.
In an exclusive video column for DW, Mujica claimed that the political standoff was in large part motivated by geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China for control over Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
Mujica called for using "politics to stave off war." "There are possibilities to negotiate, if Europe wants it, if it asserts itself and helps," he added.
He called for negotiations which would include all different factions of Venezuela's and lead to elections. The UN would need to provide guarantees for the process, he added.
He also repeatedly emphasized the "responsibilities of Europe, to whom we turn with desperation, so it would not let our Latin America become enveloped in a conflict which based on, unfortunately, on geopolitics." "Please Europe, do not be deaf," Mujica said.
But Should Guaido be arrested on his return, the move could be used by the opposition to highlight how Maduro's government represses political foes and could lead to further sanctions by the United States against Venezuela.
Mujica called for using "politics to stave off war." "There are possibilities to negotiate, if Europe wants it, if it asserts itself and helps," he added.
He called for negotiations which would include all different factions of Venezuela's and lead to elections. The UN would need to provide guarantees for the process, he added.
He also repeatedly emphasized the "responsibilities of Europe, to whom we turn with desperation, so it would not let our Latin America become enveloped in a conflict which based on, unfortunately, on geopolitics." "Please Europe, do not be deaf," Mujica said.
His detention, however, could see the opposition lose its key public figurehead who has helped bring unity after years of infighting between Venezuela's opposition parties.
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