Juan Guaidó: the man who represents a new beginning for Venezuela
The young president of the National Assembly requested citizen and military support to assume the mandate of his nation, although there are confusions on the international level
Few knew him or had heard of him, until these tumultuous days that Venezuela lived, politically speaking. This is Juan Guaidó, the young president of the National Assembly (AN) of Venezuela, who requested the support of the citizens of his country, as well as the military force and the international community to assume the command of the Presidency of his country.
Leer en español: Juan Guaidó: conozca al hombre que representa un nuevo comienzo para Venezuela
According to El Tiempo, Guaidó, only 35 years old, and who holds the presidency of the AN as deputy for the Voluntad Popular party, said in his Twitter account that based on article 333 he will fight "for the restoration of constitutional order" of his country. "To turn this into reality we need the sum of the national and international force to achieve its full implementation", he added, using the hashtags #ANRutaPorLaLibertad and #CabildoAbierto.
The Colombian media recalled what Guaidó said at a public hearing, in which the Chamber will adhere to the Venezuelan constitution and, in this sense, assume "the powers of the office of a Presidency of the Republic," but also warned that Nicolás Maduro will not leave power only by decree.
Of course, the opponent never expressed clearly that he assumed the role of President of the Republic as requested by the opposition. What he said verbatim was "I assumed the call to the Armed Forces, the international community to exercise the articles of our constitution 333, 350 and 233 to exercise a mandate. That military family that wants change, that wants the same as we do, we make a new call, here is the legitimate National Assembly that clearly assumes its responsibility and will assume it", said Guaidó.
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Who is Guaidó?
Guaidó is a 35-year-old engineer with master's degrees in public administration. He began as a legislator in the state of Vargas, near Caracas. He belongs to the Socialist International group, defined by the official sectors as a right party.
Guaidó survived as a teenager, the "tragedy of Vargas" in 1999. A tragic episode of rains and floods that left thousands of dead and missing people. The now president took his first big step of character when in 2015, and as a measure to demand a date for parliamentary elections, he participated in a hunger strike. In those elections, he was elected with more than 97 thousand votes.
According to Metroecuador, the president of the AN began his political career as a student leader and linked to the social democratic trend at the Andrés Bello Catholic University. Then, he was a founding member of the Voluntad Popular party in 2009. He was advancing as a leader and his first step in Parliament he won as a deputy for the period 2010-2015. From there, he became a candidate for the main legislator for VP.
One of his most outstanding works was defending the sovereignty of Venezuela over the territory of the Essequibo, an area that is currently disputed with Guayana, because it represents a third of the national territory. He also made allegations of corruption by the government in the famous Odebrecht case.
On a personal level, Guaidó is the father of a little girl over a year old and is fan of the Tiburones de La Guaira in baseball, a sport considered a "national pastime" in Venezuela, characterized by having a structured mentality and methodical. Guaidó is defined as a tolerant man, familiar, and with aplomb.
Interim President of Venezuela?
It should be remembered that the National Assembly of Venezuela (AN, Parliament) is the only power that does not control Nicolás Maduro, because it is presided by Juan Guaidó, whom they define as an accidental leader who had to assume the position before the forced absences of the figures of a fallen party like Voluntad Popular (VP).
The opposition controls the AN since 2015, and since then, groups that head that sector rotate annually the presidency of the Legislative Power. Therefore, in 2019, the head of the Parliament corresponds to VP, which by the way is the party of Leopoldo López, current political prisoner.
During an Open Cabildo with followers in Caracas, Guaidó declared himself interim president of Venezuela before the "usurpation" of power by Nicolás Maduro.
International support
Saludamos la asunción de @jguaido como Presidente interino de #Venezuela conforme al artículo 233 de la Constitución Política. Tiene nuestro apoyo, el de la comunidad internacional y del Pueblo de #Venezuela #OEAconVzla https://t.co/6MgJtbvMFd
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) 11 de enero de 2019
Mi apoyo a @jguaido como nuevo presidente interino de #Venezuela. La comunidad internacional y todos los venezolanos debemos acompañarlo y respaldarlo. La Fuerza Armada tiene ahora el deber constitucional de reconocerlo como su Comandante en Jefe y reivindicarse ante la historia
— Luisa Ortega Díaz (@lortegadiaz) 12 de enero de 2019
El País reported that Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States, (OAS) greeted Guaidó, as "interim president" of the country, even though the opposition leader has not yet declared himself in command of the presidency. "He has our support, that of the international community, and the people of Venezuela," Almagro said in his twitter account.
The international leader also cited a message in the aforementioned social network of Guaidó, which he swore on January 5, as president of Parliament, that "will adhere to the Constitution to call for free elections."
LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano
Translated from "Juan Guaidó: conozca el hombre que representaun nuevo comienzo para Venezuela"
