A Venezuelan air force general rejected the authority of President Nicolas Maduro Saturday, becoming the highest-ranking military officer to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s acting president. The crack in the military’s united front behind Maduro came as Guaido was mobilizing a mass protest in Caracas to back his call for Maduro’s resignation and early elections. Dressed in full uniform, Major General Francisco Yanez appeared on a video posted on social media to declare his support for Guaido, the National Assembly head who has led the most serious challenge yet to Maduro’s rule. The military high command, led by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, has sworn absolute loyalty to Maduro despite signs of unrest within the ranks. On January 21, a group of National Guard soldiers rose up against Maduro in Caracas.

Source: Punch February 02, 2019 15:33 UTC