Vladimir Padrino Lopez
The Venezuelan military will not accept a US-appointed president of the republic, the nation’s defense minister said on January 23 after US President Donald Trump officially recognized opposition leader Juan Guadio as “the Interim President of Venezuela”.
“Despair and intolerance threaten the peace of the Nation. The soldiers of the homeland do not accept a president imposed in the shadow of obscure interests or self-proclaimed outside the law,” Vladimir Padrino Lopez said. The Bolivarian National Armed Forces defend the Venezuela’s Constitution “and is the guarantor of national sovereignty,” he added.
He noted that the army will continue to defend the constitution and national sovereignty and said that there are “dark interests” behind attempts to make Guadio a leader of the country.
Earlier Guadio proclaimed himlself the Interim President of Venezuela and called on the army to support his attempts to take power. However, it seems this did not work.
At the same time, the legitimate government of Venezuela led by President Nicolas Maduro said that Venezuela was breaking diplomatic ties with the US.
