"President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaido to congratulate him on his historic assumption of the presidency and to reinforce President Trump’s strong support for Venezuela’s fight to regain democracy", the White House announced in a readout. "They agreed to maintain regular communication to support Venezuela’s path back to stability, and to rebuild the bilateral relationship between the United States and Venezuela".
Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself interim president last week and was almost immediately recognised by the United States as Venezuela's legitimate head.
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Addressing the US sanctions against the Venezuelan oil industry and the freezing of the state's assets following the Guaido's proclamation, Prosecutor General of Venezuela Tarek Saab convinced the country's Supreme Court to ban the self-proclaimed interim president from leaving the country and to impose financial restrictions on him.