Thousands of people flooded the streets of Venezuela on Saturday urging president Nicolás Maduro to quit as an air force general became the highest-ranking military officer so far to rebel against the socialist regime and back the opposition.
Carrying placards and yellow, red and blue Venezuelan flags, anti-government protesters streamed into the Las Mercedes district of Caracas to hear Juan Guaidó, the de facto leader of the opposition, tell them that change in the crisis-wracked nation was on its way.
The 35-year-old head of Congress has declared himself interim president, saying Mr Maduro has “usurped” the presidency by starting a second term on the basis of rigged elections last year. Mr Guaidó cites Venezuela’s constitution to support his claim.