Trump administration accepts Guaido ally as Venezuela envoy in U.S.
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS JANUARY 27, 2019 / 6:05 PM / UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO
Trump administration accepts Guaido ally as Venezuela envoy in U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trumps administration said on Sunday it had accepted a representative from Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the countrys representative in the United States.
In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington last Friday accepted Guaidos designation of Carlos Alfredo Vecchio, a member of the Venezuelan opposition, as the Venezuelan governments charge daffaires to the United States, and that Vecchio would have authority over diplomatic affairs in the United States on Venezuelas behalf.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is confronting an unprecedented challenge to his authority after Guaido declared himself interim president, citing a fraudulent election.
Guaido has won wide international support, including from the United States. On Saturday, Venezuelas top military diplomat in Washington, Colonel Jose Luis Silva, defected from Maduros government.
According to news reports, Vecchio left Venezuela in 2014 after the government jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Peter Cooney
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa/trump-administration-accepts-guaido-ally-as-venezuela-envoy-in-u-s-idUSKCN1PL0TO