"They (the opposition) want to bring forward elections, let's have elections," he said in a reference to the opposition. "This is the leader that all Venezuelans hoped for, a new leader, young, who is not contaminated," he added. 'HARD BLOW'His defection is "a hard blow" to Maduro, said Rocio San Miguel, an expert on the Venezuelan military. On January 21, a group of 27 soldiers rose up against Maduro in Caracas, although that was quickly suppressed. INTERFERENCEThe challenge to Maduro is his most serious yet, with the United States leading the campaign to drive him from office.

Source: Daily Nation February 03, 2019 03:33 UTC