Venezuela’s self-declared acting president Juan Guaido told FRANCE 24 in an interview, “We’re dealing with a dictatorship here that is malicious and lacks all scruples. But we are a sovereign state and I, as acting president of the Republic of Venezuela, will use all means at my disposal to put an end to this and to ensure free and fair elections.”
The 35-year-old opposition lawmaker declared himself Venezuela’s acting president last week on the grounds that Nicolas Maduro fraudulently won a second term in office last year.
France, the United States, and a host of Latin American countries have recognised him as the country’s legitimate leader, however, Maduro still has the key support of the country’s military.
Guaido told FRANCE 24 in an exclusive interview that he plans to reach out to the country's powerful armed forces and appeal to them to help "build a democracy, rebuild our country and ensure a transition government”.
He added that it was his civic duty to take on the role of acting president, saying that his country “needs me”.
