Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido said Thursday elite security forces had entered his home to threaten his family, blaming the government of Nicolas Maduro as international support grew for his bid to oust the embattled president.
The move heightened fears for the security of the 35-year-old National Assembly leader, who declared himself acting president last week in a direct challenge to Maduro’s authority.
The police’s special action force, FAES, had visited his home to interview his wife Fabiana Rosales, Guaido told his audience during a speech at Caracas university.
“The FAES is at my house, asking for Fabiana. At this moment the dictatorship believes that it will intimidate us,” a confident Guaido said, his wife at his side.
Several opposition leaders have been jailed in recent years as Maduro cracked down on growing dissent in the Latin American country.
Earlier, European lawmakers recognized Guaido as the acting head of state — another step forward in his bid to force out the socialist leader who has presided over the oil-rich country’s economic collapse.
While marshaling international support, Guaido is seeking to maintain street pressure against Maduro at home, where he has called more mass protests for Saturday — keeping him firmly in the government’s crosshairs.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court — dominated by regime loyalists — have frozen his assets and ordered him not to leave the country.
