Venezuela court issues warrant for opposition figure Lopez as Maduro seeks to show military loyalty [View all]

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS MAY 2, 2019 / 11:43 AM / UPDATED 15 MINUTES AGO

Venezuela court issues warrant for opposition figure Lopez as Maduro seeks to show military loyalty

Mayela Armas, Luc Cohen
6 MIN READ

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela’s leadership made a show of unity with top military chiefs on Thursday and a court issued an arrest warrant for an opposition figure as the ruling socialists pushed back against U.S.-backed attempts to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

Flanked by his defense minister and military operations chief, Maduro said in a televised national address that the armed forces were “united, cohesive and subordinate to their constitutional mandate,” after opposition leader Juan Guaido urged the military this week to join him to oust Maduro.

Maduro was also seeking to reject claims by the United States and the opposition that the armed forces high command was prepared to turn against him to end a political crisis fueled by years of economic chaos.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans heeded a call from Guaido to stage street protests on Wednesday in another bid to force Maduro from power but the president has held on.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-court-issues-warrant-for-opposition-figure-lopez-as-maduro-seeks-to-show-military-loyalty-idUSKCN1S81JE