Will The Real President Please Stand Up? Venezuela's Political Crisis Explained

Meera Dolasia
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 12:01:36 -0800

Venezuelan residents are in the midst of an unusual political crisis. Since January 23, 2019, the country has had two presidents: Nicolàs Maduro, the incumbent who was reelected in May 2018 and sworn into office on January 10, 2019, and Juan Guaidó, President of the National Assembly, an elected temporary parliament with the mandate to draft or reform the Constitution. The 35-year-old Guaidó, who leads the progressive Popular Will political party, proclaimed himself the country's interim leader on the grounds that the May 2018 elections were rigged, and hence the presidency was vacant.