Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is recognizing Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s president, while the leader of the country’s opposition is declaring himself the head of state with the support of the U.S. and a dozen Latin American countries.
Lopez Obrador, citing a section of the Mexican constitution that says Mexico shall not interfere in other country’s affairs, said on Thursday morning that he would not take a position on the political crisis in Venezuela.
“Other groups, people and governments might not like it, but this is what the constitution says,” Lopez Obrador said. “We don’t want confrontation. We want friendship with all governments of the world.”
President Donald Trump called on Maduro to resign, and more than a dozen Latin American countries threw their support behind Juan Guaido, who leads the opposition-controlled National Assembly and who proclaimed himself president in a speech before a mass of anti-establishment protesters in Caracas on Wednesday.
Most members of the multilateral Lima Group signed a declaration supporting Guaido: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay and Peru. Mexico was the only member to not sign.
The citizens of Venezuela have suffered for too long at the hands of the illegitimate Maduro regime. Today, I have officially recognized the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the Interim President of Venezuela. https://t.co/WItWPiG9jK
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2019
