Caracas, January 22 : Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez Tuesday said U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was "openly calling for a coup d'état in Venezuela " after Pence issued a video message of support to the Venezuelan opposition to encourage those who are protesting against President Nicolas Maduro and underline U.S. backing for opposition lawmaker Juan Guaido, the self-appointed head of the suspended National Assembly.
The Venezuelan VP's statement followed an earlier message from Venezuelan Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez who said Pence was, "promoting instability and violence in Venezuela."
"Because Mr. Pence doesn't have a job, now he wants to come and run Venezuela, handing out instructions on what should happen in Venezuela tomorrow," Rodriguez said in a press in a short statement following Pence's interventionist message. "Openly calling for a coup d'état in Venezuela. I will say it like the Venezuelan people would say it to you, 'Yankee, go home.' We're not going to allow you to intrude on issues of the country of Bolivar and the country of Hugo Chavez."
Venezuela's opposition on Wednesday plans to hold marches nationwide as part of an annual event that marks the fall of a military government in 1958.
In a taped video message in English with a few Spanish words and phrases mixed in, Pence, who has lashed out at Maduro before, declared him a "dictator" who has no rightful claim to power.
Pence declared U.S. support again for Guaido, with whom he spoke by phone earlier this month, and the suspended National Assembly, which he leads, as the "last vestige of democracy." Pence said Washington supported Guaido's decision to assert the body's powers, declare Maduro a "usurper" and push for a transitional government to be established.
The decision by the suspended National Assembly to appoint Guaido as the head of the body was invalidated by the country's Supreme Court because the body itself has been in contempt of court since 2016.
On Jan. 11, 2016, the Supreme Court of Justice declared the National Assembly in contempt of court for swearing in three deputies from the self-appointed Unity Roundtable (MUD) elected by the state of Amazonas in December 2015. The three Indigenous legislators should have been temporarily suspended because of voting irregularities in that region, but instead took possession of their seats on July 28.
The contempt of court is maintained to this day because the new board of the assembly refuses to accept the judgments of the top court.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was inaugurated for a second term in office on Jan. 10 and his term would last until 2025. His new term comes amid continuing economic war against the country and its people using harsh economic sanctions led by the United States in an effort to oust Maduro and his progressive government.
While the so-called Lima Group, the United States and other right-wing governments refused to recognize Maduro's new mandate, many progressive governments and international organizations have shown support and solidarity to Maduro. It is a critical moment for the region and the world amid a rise in right-wing politics and governments such as that of far-right Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil.
