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President Nicolás Maduro[/caption]
Venezuela 'living under dictatorship'
Venezuela’s opposition leader has told the BBC that people are living in a “dictatorship”, and renewed his calls for fresh elections.
Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president last week.
The US and about 20 other countries have recognised him. President Nicolás Maduro retains the support of Russia.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Tarek William Saab has ordered that Mr Guaidó be barred from leaving Venezuela and have his assets frozen.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Saab’s office said violent incidents and interference from foreign governments suggested “the commission of serious crimes that attack the constitutional order”.
At least 40 people are believed to have died in recent unrest, the UN says.
Protests have been growing since Mr Maduro began a second term as president this month. He was elected last year during a controversial vote in which many opposition candidates were barred from running, or jailed.
Venezuela has been struggling with a massive economic crisis. Hyperinflation and shortages of essentials such as food and medicine have forced millions to flee the nation.
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Desperate Venezuelan women are selling their hair at the border[/caption]
Desperate Venezuelan women are selling their hair at the border[/caption]
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="720"] Who’s really in charge in Venezuela? The BBC’s Paul Adams explains[/caption]
Who’s really in charge in Venezuela? The BBC’s Paul Adams explains[/caption]
What is the latest in the diplomatic row?
Russia renewed its criticism of what it calls US interference on Tuesday. It came after US National Security Adviser John Bolton announced sanctions against Venezuela’s state-owned oil firm PDVSA. Mr Bolton said the move would ensure President Maduro and his allies could “no longer loot the assets of the Venezuelan people”. He again appealed to the military to switch allegiance to Mr Guaidó. On Tuesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the sanctions violated “all possible international norms” in pursuit of regime change. He also “pledged to do everything to support the legitimate government of President Maduro”.
Who supports whom?
Venezuela broke off relations with the US last week in response to its recognition of Mr Guaidó as interim leader and ordered all US diplomats to leave the country. On Tuesday the state department issued a travel advisory urging US nationals not to go to Venezuela “due to crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, and arbitrary arrest and detention of US citizens”. More than 20 countries have followed the US in recognising Mr Guaidó as interim president. Russia, China, Mexico and Turkey are among those who have publicly backed Mr Maduro. On Saturday, several European countries including Spain, Germany, France and the UK said they would recognise Mr Guaidó as president if elections were not called within eight days.
