WASHINGTON ¨C U.S. President Donald Trump and Venezuela¡¯s self-proclaimed interim president, Juan Guaido, agreed during a Wednesday phone call to maintain regular contact amid planned protests in coming days, according to a White House spokeswoman.
Trump spoke with Guiado ¡°to reinforce President Trump¡¯s strong support for Venezuela¡¯s fight to regain its democracy,¡± White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Washington has recognized Guaido, an opposition leader and head of Venezuela¡¯s national assembly, as the president of the country.
In an interview with CNN that aired on Tuesday, Guaido said he had spoken with Trump a number of times. When asked about a possible military option in Venezuela, Guaido said all options were on the table, CNN said.
Meanwhile in an interview with Moscow¡¯s RIA news agency, Venezuela¡¯s socialist leader, Nicolas Maduro, accused Trump of ordering his assassination while his main global backer, Russia, called on Wednesday for mediation in a standoff deepening geopolitical splits.
The fight to control Venezuela, which has the world¡¯s largest oil reserves, has intensified with new U.S. sanctions and legal moves that may bring Guaido¡¯s arrest.
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