WHAT?!

Can we officially recognize Bernie Sanders as president of the United States?

Up until this month, virtually no one on the international sphere had heard about Juan Guaidó. Now, the 35-year-old former engineer has been sworn in as Venezuela's interim leader.

For the last few days, Guaidó has stood at the frontlines of an opposition uprising in Venezuela, leading protestors on the streets as they demanded the ousting of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who earlier this month began his new six-year term as the country's leader.

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In a speech Wednesday, Guaidó invoked Venezuela's constitution and declared himself the nation's interim president.

  Business Insider

It was a coup. How very like America to support a coup.

Protests in Venezuela that began as small demonstrations have now evolved to national clashes between Venezuelans led by the opposition and the National Guard.

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On January 15, Guaidó led the Venezuelan legislature as it declared Maduro an illegitimate president. Though the country's National Assembly has been largely powerless since Maduro ordered the nation's Supreme Court to dissolve it in 2017, the declaration echoed internationally.

President Nicolas Maduro has ordered a complete review of US-Venezuela relations after US Vice President Mike Pence published a video urging Venezuelans to overthrow the government.

The video comes as both Chavista and opposition citizens take to the streets on a holiday commemorating the overthrowing of the Perez Jimenez military dictatorship on January 23, 1958. The Venezuelan opposition has claimed the date will be “historic” this year and a key step in the “transition” efforts.

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In accordance with Venezuela’s Constitution, Maduro was sworn in January 10 for his second six-year mandate after defeating three other candidates in the presidential elections of May 2018. The elections, which were boycotted by some sectors of the opposition, were declared to be free, fair, and transparent by independent international electoral observers in the country at the time.

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Caracas also accused Pence of working with opposition activists to sow violence in Wednesday’s marches, and later blame it on the government.

Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez linked Pence’s efforts, which included a recent phone call to Guaido, to Monday’s unsuccessful mutiny and arms robbery by a number of national guardsmen. During the robbery, 51 weapons were stolen, Rodriguez stated, of which 40 have been recovered.

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US Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a vocal Maduro critic and one of the leading proponents of US sanctions, took to Twitter Tuesday night, predicting violence at Wednesdays marches and preemptively pointing the finger at the government’s intelligence agency, the SEBIN.

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In light of the threats of violence, President Maduro looked to lower tensions.

“I call for calm and good sense, maximum consciousness and maximum popular mobilisation to defend the homeland, democracy, and the Constitution,” Maduro proclaimed Tuesday. A large Chavista march is set to depart from three points in Caracas Wednesday before joining close to Miraflores Palace.

  Venezuelanalysis

People are going to die.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.