BOGOTA, Colombia _ Juan Guaido, Venezuela's internationally recognized president with no presidential palace, called for permanent street protests and a general strike, saying it was the only way to drive Nicolas Maduro and his corrupt allies out of office.
Talking to tens of thousands of supporters Wednesday, Guaido said he didn't know if it would take "hours, days or weeks" to topple Maduro but that there was no turning back. "We are on the right path," he said.
As Guaido addressed the chanting, flag-waving crowds in El Marques, in eastern Caracas, Venezuelan security forces were dispersing groups of protesters in other parts of the city.
In the La Florida neighborhood, security forces shot tear gas at a group of neighbors who were peacefully protesting.
It was too much for Carmela Garcia, who broke down in frustration, saying she was going hungry and the country's dire economic condition had forced her son to emigrate.
"How long will they destroy this country for?" she wailed in front of local TV cameras. "I am so angry with this country ... And those wretches say there's nothing going on here."
Guaido's calls for more action could tighten the noose on Maduro, who has lost public support but still seems to command the bulk of the military.
On Tuesday, Guaido had called for a military uprising. And while it seemed to have a limited impact, the 35-year-old head of congress called it a success, saying that many in the armed forces were ready to abandon Maduro.
"There are still many people who are being held hostage by fear," he said. "But every day there are fewer of them."
Wednesday's marches come as rumors abound that Maduro sees the writing on the wall and might be willing to step down.
Opposition Congressman Ismael Leon told VPI TV that Maduro was supposed to board a plane at 5 a.m. Tuesday and abandon Venezuela "but he was countermanded by the Cubans."
"Maduro is negotiating his exit," Leon said, "and we will be on the streets until this regime leaves."
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said that Maduro had an airplane on the tarmac waiting to take him to Havana early Tuesday but was talked out of it by the Russians.
In a national address late Tuesday, however, Maduro called those assertions more "lies" of the Trump administration and vowed to hold onto power.
In his speech, Maduro said that many of the soldiers who sided with Guaido had been "tricked" into supporting him. He also said dissident soldiers had shot five of his loyal troops and that three were in critical condition.
Surrounded by his Cabinet, Maduro accused Washington of trying to spark a "blood bath" to justify a foreign military intervention.
"What kind of mental instability do those people have," he said of Donald Trump's national security staff. "How much hate do those people have?"
Maduro called for his own May Day march _ the international day for celebrating labor _ Wednesday afternoon. But his recent rallies have failed to attract large numbers.
What's clear is that Venezuela seems to be entering a new and unpredictable phase.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday said national security adviser John Bolton had called him and told him that it was uncertain who might end up in jail, Guaido or Maduro.
"John (Bolton) called me pretty early in the morning to say, 'Look things are moving in Venezuela. The day may end with either Guiado in jail or Maduro in jail, we don't know which one. We're hoping it goes it the right direction,' " DeSantis told reporters.
Guaido himself has acknowledged the likelihood that he might end up behind bars, saying it would be tantamount to a coup _ as he's recognized as the country's legitimate president by Washington and more than 50 other nations.
"They are going to try to pursue me, they are going to try to pull off a coup," he told the crowd. "But we have our path, we have our calling and we have our strategy."
Much of the Western Hemisphere supports Guaido's plans to oust Maduro, install a transitional government and call new elections. They argue that Maduro has illegally clung to power since 2013 through a series of increasingly fraudulent votes _ most recently in May of 2018.
The Trump administration has ramped up financial and economic sanctions on the country and said "all options are on the table" when dealing with Maduro.
On Wednesday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford told a congressional budget hearing that the Pentagon was working to gather additional intelligence on developments on the ground in Venezuela and was ready to do more.
"The president's made it clear that all options are on the table," Dunford told Congress at a budget hearing Wednesday. The military will "support the president should he require more."
The issue of military intervention in Venezuela is complicated by the fact that Russia, China, Cuba, Turkey and others have come out in support of Maduro.
Florida's Gov. DeSantis cautioned the U.S. from becoming overly involved, suggesting it would muddle Guaido's message.
"I want to stand for freedom but some of that stuff can be touchy just because, really if you look at it, Guaido is fighting on behalf of all the people against a colonial force, because Maduro is propped up by (Cuba)," he said, "and so the more we get involved overtly that may mean the population has a tougher decision."
On Wednesday, Guaido blasted Maduro and his allies for destroying a once-rich country. Although Venezuela boasts the world's largest crude oil reserves, it has been racked by power and water outages, food and medicine shortages and hyperinflation.
"They represent death ... they represent a lack of future," Guaido said of the Maduro regime. "But we represent change and we represent life. And life always wins."
