Suriname court convicts president of murder

DW, 30 November 2019

Suriname's President Desi Bouterse has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 1982 murder of 15 political opponents. The South American country is now on edge over what happens next.

Suriname President Desi Bouterse (Reuters/R. Abhelakh)

A military court in Suriname on Friday convicted President Desi Bouterse of murder for the execution of 15 opponents in 1982, plunging the South American country into political uncertainty.

Opposition parties called on Bouterse, who is on a state visit to China, to step down. He was expected to return home on Saturday or Sunday.

The 74-year-old leader was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but the military court did not issue an arrest warrant. Under Surinamese law, he cannot be arrested until all appeals have been exhausted.

After the court decision, the government asked Suriname's 560,000 people to remain calm.

Who is Bouterse?

As a junior military officer, Bouterse seized power in a coup in 1980, five years after Suriname gained independence from the Netherlands. He stepped down in 1987 under international pressure in a move that led to a democratic election, only to briefly seize power again in 1990.

He later left the army and took office again in 2010, following democratic elections won by his National Democratic Party (NDP). He secured a second term in 2015.

What did the court find? 

The court ruled that Bouterse had overseen what is known as the "December killings," in which soldiers abducted 16 opponents, among them prominent journalists, academics and military officers.

All but one of the detainees was killed at a colonial fortress in the capital Paramaribo. The sole survivor — a union later — testified against Bouterse.

What led up to decision?

The court decision marks a turning point in a trail that began in 2007, when Bouterse accepted "political responsibility'' for the killings but insisted he was not present.

Bouterse and the NDP have repeatedly sought to obstruct the trial. Shortly after taking office in 2010, the NDP-controlled National Assembly granted him amnesty that was overturned by the constitutional court.

Then in 2016, the president asked the attorney general to halt the legal proceedings against him, but the court ruled against the move because the trial had already started.

Calls to implement law

Angelic del Castillo, head of the opposition Democratic Alternative '91 party, said Bouterse had "disqualified himself" and demanded he immediately resign.

In a joint statement, the diplomatic missions of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States called on the final verdict in the killings to be "implemented and upheld in accordance with the rule of law."

"The integrity and independence of the Judiciary is a pillar in Suriname society," they said.

Drug trafficking

In 2009, a Dutch court sentenced Bouterse to 11 years in prison in absentia for drug trafficking. However, his 2010 election victory protected him from being extradited under an Interpol warrant.

In 2015, his son, Dino Bouterse, was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison in the United States after being convicted of drug smuggling and trying to help the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah establish a base in Suriname. He had previously been picked to run Suriname's counter-terrorism unit.

A Suriname judge in 2005 convicted Dino of trafficking arms, drugs and running a gang.

Chileans go on strike as protest death toll hits 18

Yahoo – AFP, Miguel SANCHEZ, October 23, 2019

Riot police use water cannons on demonstrators in Santiago, on the sixth straight
day of street violence in Chile, which has left at least 18 people dead (AFP Photo/
Javier TORRES)

Santiago (AFP) - Thousands of Chileans flooded the streets of Santiago and other cities Wednesday on day one of a general strike, upping the pressure on President Sebastien Pinera after days of social unrest that have left at least 18 dead.

Students, professors and state workers walked off the job at the urging of the country's largest union, ignoring a package of measures announced by Pinera aimed at quelling the violence.

"THE STRIKE IS ON! We say it loud and clear: enough of the increases and abuses," said the Workers' United Center of Chile (CUT), which organized the two-day action with about 20 other groups.

In the capital Santiago, police used water cannons to dispel protesters.

"Chile has awakened," read the sign of one protester.

The country, usually one of the most stable in Latin America, has experienced its worst violence in decades since protests against a now-scrapped hike in metro fares escalated dramatically on Friday.

Demonstrators have decried social and economic woes, including a yawning gap between rich and poor.

A demonstrator in Santiago holds a sign reading 'Chile has awakened' (AFP Photo/

Martin BERNETTI)

A four-year-child and a man were killed in the latest protests when a drunk driver rammed into a crowd of demonstrators, Interior Undersecretary Rodrigo Ubilla said.

A third person died after being beaten by police, according to the victim's family.

In an address to the nation late Tuesday, Pinera apologized for failing to anticipate the outbreak of social unrest.

"I recognize this lack of vision," Pinera said after a meeting with some of Chile's opposition leaders.

Beyond the dead, another 269 people have been injured and about 1,900 have been arrested, according to the National Institute for Human Rights (INDH).

Pinera's proposals

Having initially taken a confrontational line -- declaring that Chile was "at war against a powerful, implacable enemy," and imposing a state of emergency in Santiago and most of Chile's 16 regions -- Pinera has rapidly changed tack and sought cross-party support to find a solution.

He says he will increase the universal basic pension by 20 percent, cancel a recent 9.2 percent increase in electricity bills and propose a law that would see the state cover the costs of expensive medical treatment.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera apologized in an address to the nation for 

failing to anticipate the outbreak of social unrest (AFP Photo/HO)

He also pledged a state subsidy to increase the minimum wage from 301,000 to 350,000 pesos ($482) a month and said the government would introduce health insurance for medication, which is among the most expensive in the region.

Chileans were unconvinced by the promises.

"I don't think that what Pinera said is all that useful," said 38-year-old Karla Araneda, who works near the seat of government.

"Today, even more people are going to be in the streets and the problems are going to continue."

After widespread scenes of violence, destruction, arson and looting last week, protests have become more peaceful this week, particularly in Santiago.

But it's the worst violence to hit Chile since the country returned to democracy after the 1973-1990 right-wing dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Some 20,000 police and troops have been deployed while a nighttime curfew was announced on each of the last four days.

After widespread scenes of violence, destruction, arson and looting last week, 

protests have become more peaceful this week, particularly in Santiago (AFP Photo/

Martin BERNETTI )

Strike organizers issued a statement demanding that the government end the state of emergency and send troops back to their barracks.

The country's powerful copper mine workers' unions have joined the strike movement.

Chile is the largest producer of copper in the world, much of which is sold to China.

But despite 2.5 percent growth, ordinary Chileans are deeply unhappy about low salaries and pensions, as well as health and education systems that are unaffordable for most.

"Pinera has always been a liar and now... he is asking for forgiveness," said 23-year-old Carlos Morales.

Another resident, Ximena Gutierrez, told AFP: "We will not be silent."

Before Pinera's announcement, one of Chile's largest conglomerates, Quinenco, promised to increase its minimum salaries to 500,000 pesos a month from January 1 -- 60 percent more than the current minimum wage.

Map of Latin America showing countries where major protests 

have occurred in recent months (AFP Photo)

Chile's big business conglomerates are one of the major factors in the huge wealth disparity that has angered protesters.

Nine dead in fires

The strike will put Santiago to the test. Life in the capital has been returning to normal, with three of seven metro lines due to be open Wednesday and buses back on the road.

More than half of Santiago's 136 metro stations suffered heavy damage during last week's protests and remained guarded by soldiers.

Shops and businesses -- even banks -- appeared to be reopening, but some Santiago-area schools were still closed.

Chile president seeks cross-party help to end street violence

Yahoo – AFP, Barnaby CHESTERMAN, 22 October 2019

Demonstrators clash against soldiers during a protest in Valparaiso, Chile,
on October 21, 2019

President Sebastian Pinera convened a meeting with leaders of Chile's political parties on Tuesday in the hope of finding a way to end street violence that has claimed 15 lives, as anti-government campaigners threatened new protests.

The country's worst violence in decades erupted on Friday, initially triggered by an increase in metro fares. But it has mushroomed into a broader outcry against social and economic woes, including a yawning gap between rich and poor, in a country normally considered one of the most stable in Latin America.

The conservative Pinera declared over the weekend that the country was "at war against a powerful, implacable enemy," and imposed a state of emergency on Santiago and most of Chile's 16 regions.

Army General Javier Iturriaga announced curfews in effect for the last three nights.

On Monday, Pinera adopted a more conciliatory tone, saying he wanted to address people's grievances.

He said the meeting with political parties was to work on "a social agreement that will allow us all together to rapidly, efficiently and responsibly approach better solutions to the problems afflicting Chileans."

But Chile's largest union, the Workers' United Center of Chile (CUT) called strikes and protests for Thursday and Friday, alongside 18 other social organizations.

The public health sector workers' union also announced plans to strike and demonstrate.

Almost 1,500 people have been detained since Chile's outbreak of social unrest began

Death toll rise

The violence -- with widespread looting, arson and clashes with security forces -- is the worst to hit Chile since it returned to democracy after the 1973-1990 rightwing dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Some 20,000 police and military troops have been providing security.

"This is not happening because they raised the metro fare by 30 pesos," said a man who gave his name only as Orlando, taking part in Monday's protests. He cited gripes including low salaries and pensions, waiting lists at hospitals and high prices for medicine.

"This has been going on for 30 years," the 55-year-old said.

The metro fare increase has been suspended but that has not stopped the violence.

The government raised the death toll on Tuesday to 15.

Eleven of the fatalities were in the Santiago region and caused by looting and arson, mainly targeting supermarkets and shopping centers, Deputy Interior Minister Rodrigo Ubilla told a news conference.

Three of the deaths outside the capital were from gunshots, he said.

In central Santiago, many shops and businesses that were closed on Monday had reopened. People returning to work or daily life waited patiently as long queues formed at bus stops and supermarkets.

Only one of the Santiago metro's seven lines -- which normally carry three million people a day -- was operational, although a fleet of 4,300 public busses took up much of strain.

More than half of Santiago's 136 metro stations suffered heavy damage on Friday, the first day of riots.

Around 50 schools and 10 universities in the capital remained closed but hospitals and clinics operated normally.

Chile's security forces have used tear gas and water cannons on the most 

unruly demonstrators

Relative calm

Monday night saw a marked drop in violence. A drive through Santiago in the early hours of Tuesday showed it largely deserted except for military vehicles and police patrols.

Earlier in several parts of the capital, a handful of peaceful protesters defiantly ignored the curfew order and faced off with security forces.

A young man died after being hit by a military truck during the looting of a fishing company in the southern city of Talcahuano, the prosecutor's office said on Monday.

Since the unrest began more than 2,600 people have been detained.

Chile's human rights institute said more than 200 people had been taken to hospital, almost half with gunshot wounds, while many others suffered eye injuries from pellets.

Once again on Monday, security forces used tear gas and water cannon on stone-throwing demonstrators who set up street barricades and lit fires.

Thousands of protesters gathered peacefully in the main Plaza Italia square in the capital on Monday, chanting "Pinera Out!" and "Get out military!"

Art teacher Camila Rojas, 29, said protesters had many demands, but "Pinera's resignation is the first thing."

#Pineradictador -- Pinera dictator -- was trending on social media as users denounced violence by security forces.

While some protesters broke up curbs to throw stones, smashed bus shelters or looted shops the vast majority in the capital were in festive mood, chanting, banging drums, playing music and dancing.

"We have to have a party to cancel out in a way those who are doing the excesses," Marcelo Gonzalez, 25, an engineering student carrying a drum, told AFP.

At Santiago's international airport, airline giant LATAM brought out deck chairs for passengers stranded by flight cancellations caused by the protests.

Ecuador govt, protesters agree deal to end deadly unrest

Yahoo – AFP, Hector Velasco, Katell ABIVEN, October 14, 2019

Thousands flooded into the streets of Quito to celebrate shortly after the
deal was announced (AFP Photo/Martin BERNETTI)

Quito (AFP) - Ecuador's president and indigenous leaders reached an agreement Sunday to end nearly two weeks of violent protests against austerity measures adopted to obtain a multi-billion-dollar loan from the IMF.

The demonstrations have left seven people dead and were sparked when President Lenin Moreno scrapped fuel subsidies to obtain a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, causing prices to double.

Moreno met with Jaime Vargas, the head of the indigenous umbrella grouping CONAIE, for four hours of talks in the capital Quito broadcast live on state television.

"With this agreement, the mobilizations... across Ecuador are terminated and we commit ourselves to restoring peace in the country," said a joint statement, adding the government had withdrawn an order that removed fuel subsidies.

Thousands flooded into the streets of Quito shortly after the announcement, waving the national flag, honking horns and setting off fireworks in celebration.

News of the deal to reinstate fuel subsidies was met with joy on the streets 

of Ecuador's capital (AFP Photo/Martin BERNETTI)

The statement was read by an official from the United Nations, which mediated the talks along with the Catholic Church.

"The measures applied in all our territories are lifted," confirmed Vargas, referring to roads and oil facilities in the Amazon blocked by protesters for almost two weeks. Those actions suspended the distribution of almost 70 percent of the country's crude oil.

Indigenous groups make up a quarter of Ecuador's 17.3 million people. Thousands who had traveled from disadvantaged communities across the Amazon and the Andes to spearhead the protests in Quito, started to head home after the deal was announced.

"Indigenous brothers, I have always treated you with respect and affection," Moreno said as the talks opened. "It was never my intention to affect the poorest sectors."

The demonstrations were sparked by President Lenin Moreno scrapping fuel 

subsidies to obtain a $4.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (AFP 

Photo/Cristina VEGA)

Moreno had previously declared a curfew and placed Quito under military control to quell the unrest.

On Sunday, violent clashes continued before the talks began as police fought to disperse protesters who tried to put up a barricade of debris from Saturday's unrest.

Authorities said 1,349 people had been injured and 1,152 detained in the demonstrations.

The violence forced Moreno to relocate his government to Ecuador's second city, Guayaquil, and hit the oil industry hard with the energy ministry suspending more than two-thirds of its distribution of crude.

Buildings ransacked

CONAIE had previously rejected an offer of dialogue but reversed course Saturday.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres earlier called on all groups "to commit to inclusive and meaningful talks, and to work in good faith towards a peaceful solution."

Authorities said 1,349 people had been injured and 1,152 detained in the 

demonstrations (AFP Photo/Martin BERNETTI)

Demonstrators on Saturday ransacked and set fire to the building housing the comptroller general's office, which was shrouded in thick smoke after being attacked with fire bombs.

The prosecutor's office said 34 people were arrested.

Protesters on Saturday also targeted a television station and a newspaper.

The Teleamazonas TV channel interrupted its regular broadcast to air images of broken windows, a burned vehicle and heavy police presence on the scene.

The station evacuated 25 employees, none of them hurt.

Nearby, protesters built barricades in front of the National Assembly building as police fired tear gas at them.

"We have nothing to do with the events at the comptroller's office and Teleamazonas," said CONAIE.

Demonstrators set up barricades near the National Assembly in Quito on 

Saturday (AFP Photo/RODRIGO BUENDIA)

El Comercio newspaper reported on Twitter that its offices were attacked by a "group of unknowns."

Protesters did not immediately heed the curfew that went into effect on Saturday, with security forces struggling to impose order in some parts of the city.

"Where are the mothers and fathers of the police? Why do they let them kill us?" cried Nancy Quinyupani, an indigenous woman.

The restrictions in Quito, a city of 2.7 million, came on top of a state of emergency Moreno had declared on October 3, deploying some 75,000 military and police and imposing a nighttime curfew in the vicinity of government buildings.

Moreno is struggling with an economic crisis that he blames on waste and corruption by Correa's administration.

Brazil's army fights Amazon fires after hundreds of new blazes ignite

France24 – AFP, 25 August 2019

Porto Velho (Brazil) (AFP) - Brazil on Sunday deployed two Hercules C-130 aircraft to douse fires devouring parts of the Amazon rainforest, as hundreds of new blazes were ignited ahead of nationwide protests over the destruction.

Heavy smoke covered the city of Porto Velho in the northwestern state of Rondonia where the defense ministry said the planes have started dumping thousands of liters of water, amid a global uproar over the worst fires in years.

Swathes of the remote region bordering Bolivia have been scorched by the blazes, sending thick smoke billowing into the sky and increasing air pollution across the world's largest rainforest.

Experts say increased land clearing during the months-long dry season to make way for crops or grazing has aggravated the problem this year.

"It gets worse every year -- this year, the smoke has been really serious," Deliana Amorim, 46, told AFP in Porto Velho where half a million people live.

At least seven states, including Rondonia, have requested the army's help in the Amazon, where more than 43,000 troops are based and available to combat fires, officials said.

The fires have triggered a global outcry and are a major topic of concern at the G7 meeting in Biarritz in southern France.

World leaders at the summit have agreed to help the countries affected by the fires "as fast as possible," French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday.

His remarks come amid an escalating war of words with his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro, who he has accused of lying over Brazil's stance on climate change.

Bolsonaro has denounced what he calls Macron's "colonialist mentality."

Trade deal at risk

The fires threaten to torpedo a huge trade agreement between the European Union and South American countries, including Brazil, that took 20 years to negotiate.

Pope Francis on Sunday also voiced concern for the rainforest, which he described as a "vital" lung for the planet.

The latest official figures show 79,513 forest fires have been recorded in Brazil this year, the highest number of any year since 2013.

More than half of the fires are in the massive Amazon basin, where more than 20 million people live. Some 1,130 new fires were ignited between Friday and Saturday, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

The new data come as protesters plan to take to the streets across Brazil on Sunday, after thousands held demonstrations in the country and in Europe on Friday.

GRAPHIC: Wildfires active in the Amazon. More than half of the fires are in the massive Amazon basin, where more than 20 million people live pic.twitter.com/SoDx41DWo0

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 25 augustus 2019

Venezuela's Guaido starts domestic tour to stir support

Yahoo – AFP, Alexander MARTINEZ, March 16, 2019

Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido,
shown on March 14, 2019, has been pushing against Maduro for nearly two months
(AFP Photo/Yuri CORTEZ)

Valencia (Venezuela) (AFP) - Venezuela's self-proclaimed interim leader Juan Guaido began a tour of his country Saturday aimed at sparking a citizen's movement to pry President Nicolas Maduro from power.

As Guaido, 35, kicked off his "operation freedom" in the northern city of Valencia, the pro-Maduro military staged the latest in a series of exercises.

The drill focused on defending hydroelectric infrastructure from attack -- a reaction to a weeklong national blackout that Maduro blamed on US "sabotage" but experts said was more likely the result of years of neglect.

Guaido, the head of the opposition-ruled National Assembly whose claim to be caretaker president is recognized by the US, Canada and much of Latin America and Europe, vowed he would "very soon" take up office in Miraflores, the presidential palace.

He has been pushing for nearly two months against Maduro after declaring himself acting president during street rallies by tens of thousands, following Maduro's swearing in for a second term despite elections widely dismissed as a sham.

A supporter of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds an image of late 

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, during a demonstration in Caracas on

March 16, 2019 (AFP Photo/RONALDO SCHEMIDT)

"We are going to reclaim what belongs to the people," Guaido told thousands of supporters on Saturday.

Maduro, he said, "believes that a thieving gang or a palace makes him president. It's only the support of our people that makes someone president of a nation and he doesn't have that. And not much longer will he be in that palace."

Guaido offered no timeline for the mobilization across Venezuela, which he said will culminate with a march on the presidential palace in Caracas.

Accompanying him on his tour are opposition lawmakers tasked with creating citizen assemblies -- "freedom cells" -- across the country. The opposition said that, by Saturday, around 50 had already been set up in half of Venezuela's 23 states.

"Whatever happens, we must be united, mobilized in the streets," Guaido said, adding that he has not ruled out asking the National Assembly to activate a constitutional clause allowing foreign military intervention -- though such a move "depended on others."

An anti-Maduro demonstrator (R) argues with a protester against any US led intervention

 in Venezuela, in front of the White House in Washington on March 16, 2019 (AFP Photo/

Eric BARADAT)

US ratchets up sanctions

That was taken as a reference to US military action, which US President Donald Trump has repeatedly refused to rule out, even though there is no sign such an operation is being mounted and US allies in Latin America oppose the idea.

On Saturday, pro-Maduro demonstrators gathered in front of Trump's White House in Washington to protest any US-led intervention in Venezuela, while anti-Maduro protesters held their own rally nearby.

Washington has so far concentrated on ratcheting up sanctions on Venezuela. That has made an already dire economic situation in the country worse, while increasing pressure on Maduro.

On April 28, a US embargo on Venezuelan oil exports will go into effect, dealing a heavy blow to Venezuela's diminished finances, as America accounts for half of the oil exported.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (C), meeting with military commanders 

at the presidential palace (AFP Photo/HO)

A major barrier to Guaido's plan to wrest control of the country is the military, which has so far remained loyal to Maduro, who has put generals in charge of lucrative civilian agencies and institutions.

Guaido has offered amnesties to soldiers who abandon Maduro.

As has become common when the opposition holds an event, pro-Maduro crowds surged into the streets of central Caracas.

On Saturday, they cried "victory" to Maduro's claim that he had beaten back a "cybernetic" attack by the US on the electricity grid. Although the government insisted power had been restored to all of Venezuela, some western regions reported outages.

Maduro on Friday announced the creation of a special military unit to protect electricity facilities and other "strategic services."

"Every minute of peace Venezuela has is a victory for the revolution and a defeat for the North American empire (the US) that really wants to see us killing each other here," one pro-Maduro demonstrator, Hermes Flores, told AFP.

For him, Guaido is "a flame that will go out."

Venezuela opposition leader cranks up pressure on Maduro

Yahoo – AFP, Maria Isabel SANCHEZ, January 25, 2019

A crowd of Venezuelan opposition supporters gather at Bolivar square in 

Caracas as they wait to listen to Venezuela's National Assembly head and the 

country's self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaido on January 25, 2019 

(AFP Photo/Federico Parra)

Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's opposition leader stepped up his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro on Friday, calling for a "major demonstration" and rejecting an offer of talks with the socialist leader.

National Assembly head Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself acting president during a huge street rally on Wednesday, said he wouldn't attend a "fake dialogue" on a crisis that has left 26 dead this week in clashes between anti-Maduro activists and security forces.

Mexico had offered to host talks, with Maduro professing he was ready to go "wherever I have to."

But Guaido, who is backed by the US and several Latin American countries, told supporters in Caracas the public would remain in the streets "until we achieve an end to the usurpation, a transitional government and free elections."

He accused Maduro's regime of only offering talks after "repression" fails to achieve their objectives.

The European Union and US ratcheted up the pressure on Maduro to agree to new elections, with an EU diplomat telling AFP the bloc wanted "an immediate call for elections in the near future."

World map showing countries which support Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro
and those which recognise the president of the opposition-led parliament, Juan Guaido,
as interim leader. (AFP Photo/Vincent LEFAI)

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will underline US support for the Venezuelan people at a UN Security Council meeting Saturday and urge members to recognize Guaido as interim president, the State Department said.

Diplomatic row

President Donald Trump's administration has spearheaded the international pressure on Maduro, who accuses Washington of being behind an attempted "coup," by declaring his regime "illegitimate."

Washington's immediate support for Guaido led to Maduro, who retains the powerful military's backing, closing his country's embassy and consulates in the US and breaking off diplomatic ties.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, too, denounced US policy on Venezuela as "destructive" while Russia is also backing Maduro.

Spain pushed the EU to recognize Guaido's claims to the presidency if no new elections are held, while Germany said it may follow suit.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez (C) and the military's top 

leadership declare support for President Nicolas Maduro (AFP Photo/Luis ROBAYO)

France warned Maduro against "any form of repression" of the opposition as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said more than 350 people were arrested this week during the protests.

Maduro's reelection last year was contested by the opposition, and criticized internationally -- but the military has repeatedly reiterated its loyalty to the socialist leader.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, a general, declared the 56-year-old Maduro "the legitimate president" on Thursday and vowed to defend his authority against an attempted "coup d'etat."

Eight generals also expressed their "absolute loyalty and subordination" to Maduro while the Supreme Court -- made up of regime loyalists -- warned that "a coup is brewing in Venezuela with the consent of foreign governments."

Guaido, 35, has galvanized a previously divided opposition and even attempted to attract military support by offering an amnesty to anyone who disavows Maduro.

In a Skype interview with Univision late Thursday he went one step further by suggesting Maduro could also be offered amnesty if he agrees to step down.

But such an option would have to be evaluated, he said, because Maduro is responsible for the deaths of protesters.

Bloody clashes erupted on the streets of Caracas as an opposition leader 

mounted a challenge against the government (AFP Photo/YURI CORTEZ)

Maduro fall 'not imminent'

Analysts at the Eurasia Group consultancy noted that while international recognition of Guaido as interim president cemented his position as the main opposition leader, his failure to win over the military meant Maduro's fall "does not appear imminent."

Venezuela's descent into a political crisis began this week when a group of soldiers rose up against Maduro and sparked a number of protests leading up to Wednesday's rival rallies that saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets.

That was when Guaido proclaimed himself acting president, with major regional players such as Brazil and Argentina following the US lead in recognizing his claim.

Trump has openly mused about military intervention in Venezuela, saying "all options are on the table," but Russia said that "violates the fundamental norms of international law."

Since Maduro came to power in 2013, Venezuela has descended into an economic crisis that has left millions in poverty and shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine.

Some 2.3 million people have fled the country since 2015, according to the United Nations. Inflation is forecast to hit 10 million percent this year.

#UPDATE Venezuela's opposition leader stepped up his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro, calling for a "major demonstration" and rejecting an offer of talks with the socialist leader https://t.co/knn9VEhg2W

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 25, 2019