AGL 40.40 Increased By ▲ 0.20 (0.5%)
AIRLINK 129.25 Increased By ▲ 0.14 (0.11%)
BOP 6.81 Increased By ▲ 0.21 (3.18%)
CNERGY 4.13 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (2.48%)
DCL 8.73 Increased By ▲ 0.28 (3.31%)
DFML 41.40 Increased By ▲ 0.15 (0.36%)
DGKC 87.75 Increased By ▲ 0.75 (0.86%)
FCCL 33.85 Increased By ▲ 0.50 (1.5%)
FFBL 66.40 Increased By ▲ 0.50 (0.76%)
FFL 10.69 Increased By ▲ 0.15 (1.42%)
HUBC 113.51 Increased By ▲ 2.81 (2.54%)
HUMNL 15.65 Increased By ▲ 0.42 (2.76%)
KEL 4.87 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (1.88%)
KOSM 7.62 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-2.68%)
MLCF 43.10 Increased By ▲ 1.20 (2.86%)
NBP 61.50 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (1.65%)
OGDC 192.20 Increased By ▲ 9.40 (5.14%)
PAEL 27.05 Increased By ▲ 1.69 (6.66%)
PIBTL 7.26 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (15.97%)
PPL 150.50 Increased By ▲ 2.69 (1.82%)
PRL 24.96 Increased By ▲ 0.40 (1.63%)
PTC 16.25 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.06%)
SEARL 71.30 Increased By ▲ 0.80 (1.13%)
TELE 7.25 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.68%)
TOMCL 36.29 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.03%)
TPLP 8.05 Increased By ▲ 0.20 (2.55%)
TREET 16.30 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (6.54%)
TRG 51.56 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-0.27%)
UNITY 27.35 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
WTL 1.27 Increased By ▲ 0.04 (3.25%)
BR100 9,967 Increased By 125.2 (1.27%)
BR30 30,751 Increased By 714.7 (2.38%)
KSE100 93,292 Increased By 771.2 (0.83%)
KSE30 29,017 Increased By 230.5 (0.8%)

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was set Sunday to announce a date for the arrival of humanitarian aid to the crisis-wracked country - a path President Nicolas Maduro believes will lead to a US-led military intervention. The clock, meanwhile, was ticking on a midnight deadline set by seven European countries demanding that Maduro call presidential elections or see them recognize Guaido, head of the National Assembly, as acting president.
And in Washington, US President Donald Trump warned that a US military intervention remains "an option" in dealing with the crisis in oil-rich Venezuela. Tens of thousands of people turned out Saturday for competing shows of support for Guaido, who stunned the world 10 days ago by declaring himself "acting president," and Maduro, who was sworn in January 10 to a disputed second six year term.
During the protest, Guaido announced the installation of collection centers for medicine and food in neighbouring Colombia and Brazil. At the opposition leader's request, Washington was already readying "and transporting humanitarian aid" for Venezuela, US National Security Advisory John Bolton said on Twitter.
The US recognized Guaido as Venezuela's interim president on January 23 while seven European nations, including Britain, France, Germany and Spain, have said they will do likewise unless Maduro calls presidential elections by midnight on Sunday. Austria was the latest to join the group. Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz announced the decision to join the ultimatum in a tweet on Sunday.
France warned Maduro of the approaching deadline and that it was preparing to recognize Guaido. "The ultimatum ends tonight," France's European affairs minister Natalie Loiseau told French media on Sunday. "If between now and this evening Mr Maduro does not commit to organizing presidential elections, we will consider that Mr Guaido is legitimate to organize them in his place," Loiseau added.
Speaking at a pro-regime demonstration marking 20 years since his predecessor Hugo Chavez came to power, Maduro ignored those demands and instead reiterated his call to bring forward legislative elections slated for the end of 2020 to this year. "They want to bring forward elections, let's have elections," he said.
Loiseau, the French minister, dismissed Maduro's threat to hold early legislative elections as "a farce, a tragic farce." Maduro, making his first appearance at a rally since a military parade in August when he claimed to have been targeted in an attempted assassination, accused Guaido of being a US "puppet" in a coup d'etat attempt.
The National Assembly is the only one of Venezuela's five government branches controlled by the opposition. Guaido had earlier urged the armed forces to allow humanitarian aid from abroad into the country. "You, soldier... have the decision in your hands" to allow it in or not, said Guaido. Under Maduro's stewardship, oil-dependent Venezuela has lurched into an economic crisis that has left the country suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine.
But he refuses to let aid into Venezuela. At his rally on Saturday, he called the opposition "imperialist beggars," claiming the US pledge to deliver $20 million in aid would precede military intervention. Guaido also called for a new demonstration on February 12, and another protest to push for the entry of humanitarian aid.
Speaking at the European Union's headquarters in the east of the capital, he said this month "should be decisive." The rival Caracas rallies, separated by 10 kilometers (six miles), attracted huge crowds. Carlos Morales, a 62-year-old who voted for Chavez in 1998 but now says socialism only brings "misery," attended a pro-Guaido rally with his wife. "This is the leader that all Venezuelans hoped for, a new leader, young, who is not contaminated," he added.
At the pro-Maduro demonstration, Virginia Rondon, 69, hummed songs that glorified Chavez, and reminisced about his socialist revolution, saying: "I never experienced anything more beautiful in all my years." Others denounced the specter of US intervention and called on the United Nations to halt "Trump's war."
In a boost for Guaido, an Air Force general Saturday became the highest ranking military officer to back him. General Francisco Yanez said in a social media video that he disavowed Maduro's "dictatorial" authority and recognized Guaido as the acting president. The air force high command strategic planning director said "90 percent of the armed forces don't support the dictator."
His defection is "a hard blow" to Maduro, said Rocio San Miguel, an expert on the Venezuelan military. The military and security forces have so far been Maduro's main pillar of support, but there have been signs of unrest in the ranks. On January 21, a group of 27 soldiers rose up against Maduro in Caracas, although that was quickly suppressed.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019

Comments

Comments are closed.