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Venezuela

Trump urges Venezuelan military: 'Set your country free'

Source: BBC News:
February 18, 2019 at 20:01
US President Donald Trump has appealed directly to the Venezuela military to abandon their support for President Nicolás Maduro.

In a speech in Miami, the president warned "the eyes of the entire world" were on those propping him up.

Mr Trump said those who continued to back Mr Maduro's government were risking their own futures and lives.

The speech represents a further attempt to persuade officials to switch loyalty to opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Venezuela's president is refusing to step down or call new elections, despite mounting international pressure. 

Dozens of countries, including the US, have recognised Mr Guaidó as the country's interim president.

The head of the country's opposition-led National Assembly declared himself as this during an anti-government protest last month.

Mr Guaidó has vowed to oversee fresh elections on the grounds that Mr Maduro's 2018 re-election was flawed.

Mr Maduro has criticised outside influence in the country's internal affairs. 

He has also maintained the support of his military and several key allies. 

In other developments:

  • Venezuela's state internet provider has blocked a webpage where volunteers have been signing up to help bring humanitarian aid into the country
  • The government says it will stage a concert on the Colombian border at the weekend to rival a similar event - on the other side of the frontier - organised by UK businessman Richard Branson in support of the opposition's aid effort.

What did Mr Trump say? 

Mr Trump gave a speech on Monday at Miami's Florida International University to a crowd of mostly Venezuelan and Cuban immigrants. 

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