For his part, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will on urge UN Security Council members at a Saturday meeting to recognise Guaido as interim president, the State Department said. Spain had wanted the EU to take a tough line on Maduro by calling for immediate elections, failing which it wanted the bloc as a whole to recognise Guaido, the 35-year-old head of Venezuela’s National Assembly. Venezuela opposition leader cranks up pressure on MaduroBut countries like Austria, Greece and Portugal are much more reluctant. Maduro also has the support of Russia, whose foreign minister Sergei Lavrov denounced US policy on Venezuela as “destructive”. Washington’s support for Guaido led Maduro to close the US embassy and consulates and break diplomatic ties.

Source: The Express Tribune January 26, 2019 14:14 UTC