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Guaido's Envoy Vecchio Asks US Congress Support to End Maduro's Power

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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Guaido's representative Carlos Vecchio on Wednesday visited US Congress and requested support from lawmakers to end President Nicolas Maduro's power in order to "recover democracy" in Venezuela.

“We just wanted to explain to them our agenda, that we need the support of the US Congress in order to recover our democracy,” Vecchio said on Wednesday. “Mainly we said that we need support in order to end this power of Maduro, we need to finish the dictatorship in Venezuela.”

Vecchio explained that his delegation expressed to US lawmakers the need for congressional support to establish a transitional government in Venezuela and to hold free and fair elections in order to elect a new president.

Vecchio called on all Latin American countries and the European Union to support Guaido, who earlier proclaimed himself the country's interim president and head of opposition-dominated National Assembly Juan Guaido.

Earlier in the day the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said that the African Union had expressed its support for President Nicolas Maduro amid the escalating political crisis in the country. 

Uruguay, in turn, announced that the international conference on the current political crisis in Venezuela is to take place in Montevideo on 7 February. More than 10 countries are planning to attend the event so far.

"The goal of the conference is to lay the groundwork for the creation of a new dialogue mechanism, with the inclusion of all Venezuelan [political] forces that would contribute to the return of stability and peace in the country", Uruguay's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.        

READ MORE: African Union Supports Maduro Amid Political Crisis — Venezuelan FM

Previously Donald Trump reiterated his support for the self-proclaimed interim president Guaido during Wednesday's phone call.

On January 23, the speaker of the opposition-led Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, declared himself interim head of state amid ongoing anti-government protests. The United States and a number of other countries, which disputed last year's re-election of President Nicolas Maduro, have recognized the opposition leader.

President Donald Trump talks on the phone aboard Air Force One during a flight to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address a joint gathering of House and Senate Republicans, Thursday, January 26, 2017 (File photo). - Sputnik International
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Trump Phones Juan Guaido to Express Support as US Ramps Up Pressure on Maduro
Maduro slammed Guaido as a US "puppet" and accused Washington, which has stated that it has all options on the table to respond to the crisis, of organizing a coup in Venezuela.

Russia, China, Mexico, and Uruguay, were among those that voiced their support for Maduro as the country's only legitimate president and expressed readiness to act as mediators in the conflict between the government and the opposition.

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