WASHINGTON — The Trump administration declared quick and enthusiastic support Tuesday for the Venezuelan opposition effort to spark a military uprising against embattled President Nicolas Maduro, hoping for decisive action in the political crisis that has engulfed the South American nation.
President Donald Trump and senior foreign policy figures in his administration all weighed in, casting the effort headed by opposition leaders Juan Guaido and Leopoldo Lopez as a move to restore democracy, not an attempted coup like the short-lived effort to oust then-President Hugo Chavez in 2002 that seemed to have U.S. support.
"We are with you!" Vice President Mike Pence tweeted to the opposition. Pence, who has had a lead role in the administration's effort to persuade Maduro to give up power, told the opposition group, "America will stand with you until freedom & democracy are restored."
National Security Adviser John Bolton said it was a "very delicate moment" for Venezuela.
"If this effort fails, they will sink into a dictatorship from which there are very few possible alternatives," he said at the White House.
The wholehearted embrace of the rebellion reflects the goals of an administration that from its earliest days has sought the removal of Maduro. But it was also an unusually full-throated endorsement by any government for a mass protest that was turning violent.
"It's more than cheerleading. They are very actively collaborating," said Mark Weisbrot, who is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington and has called for a negotiated end to the political crisis.
The U.S. and about 50 other nations take the position that Maduro's re-election last year was irrevocably marred by fraud and he is not the legitimate president of Venezuela, a once prosperous nation that has the world's largest proven oil reserves.
In January, the administration took the unusual step of recognizing Guaido, the opposition leader of the National Assembly, as interim president. It also imposed punishing sanctions on the country's oil sector, deepening the country's economic crisis.
Despite these and other measures, Maduro, the hand-picked successor to Chavez, has retained his hold on the country and the support of the security services.
That support seemed to crack Tuesday with the launch of what the opposition was calling "Operation Freedom," which began with the early-morning release of a short video of Guaido and Lopez alongside a few dozen national guardsmen urging people to "take to the streets."
Lopez, the country's most prominent opposition activist, had been under house arrest, and his sudden appearance would seem to have required the cooperation of troops who guard him.
"What we are seeing today in Venezuela is the will of the people to peacefully change the course of their country from one of despair to one of freedom and democracy," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted in an early reaction. "The U.S. stands with them."
Still, the Trump administration was caught slightly off-guard by Guaido's decision to launch the campaign on Tuesday. Elliott Abrams, the special representative for Venezuela, said the administration had expected major marches and protests to take place on Wednesday for the May Day holiday.
At some point after that, Abrams said, U.S. officials had been led to believe that the head of Venezuela's Supreme Court, the defense minister and the chief of the presidential guard would declare their support for the constitution and, by extension, renounce Maduro's leadership. Abrams said U.S. officials believed such a step would galvanize public support for Guaido.
"What was going to happen, we were told, was that they would announce their support for the constitution," he told reporters at the State Department.
That did not occur and Abrams said "the situation on the ground remains confused." Nonetheless, Abrams said he had been in contact with Guaido by text message at midafternoon and Guaido seemed "buoyant and determined."
U.S. officials said they were evaluating the situation to see how it would play out. "This is obviously a very serious situation," Bolton said. "The president has been advising it minute by minute throughout the day, as have his advisers."
The U.S. has been embarrassed by acting too soon in the past. In April 2002, a businessman who had repeated meetings with American officials staged a coup against the leftist President Chavez. While other countries in the hemisphere denounced the move, the administration of then President George W. Bush acknowledged the new government. It had to backtrack as the rebellion fizzled.
Trump administration officials sought to draw a distinction between the two situations. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, at a conference in California, said the U.S. considers Guaido, not Maduro, the legitimate leader of the country under the Venezuelan constitution. "Importantly, we do not consider it a coup," he said.
Still, Abrams sounded uncertain as to how Guaido's bid would end and appeared to set the stage for his possible defeat.
"We know this: At the end of the day, Juan Guaido will still be the legitimate interim president of Venezuela, the United States will still be supporting him," he said. "The Maduro regime, while it exists will still be illegitimate and completely incapable of solving the problems of the Venezuelan people."
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9:15 a.m.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is saying "We are with you!" to the Venezuelans taking to the streets after opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for the military to rise up and oust socialist leader Nicolas Maduro.
Pence said in a tweet addressed to Guaidó, the National Assembly and "all the freedom-loving people of Venezuela who are taking to the streets today in #operacionlibertad_Estamos con ustedes! We are with you!"
He adds that, "America will stand with you until freedom & democracy are restored."
The U.S. and dozens of other countries have recognized Guaidó as Venezuela's rightful leader, arguing that Maduro's re-election was invalid.
Maduro has accused the U.S. of backing a "coup" in the country.
8:50 a.m.
The White House says it is "watching and waiting" on the situation in Venezuela and hoping the result is democracy.
White House counselor adviser Kellyanne Conway says the White House stands with opposition leader Juan Guidó, whom the U.S. recognizes as the interim president of the country. Guaidó has taken to the streets of Caracas and is calling for a military uprising.
Conway says it's time for socialist leader Nicolas Maduro to go and that the U.S. is pushing for "a peaceful transition of power."
Says Conway: "We're watching and we're waiting. We hope the result is democracy and freedom for the people."
8:30 a.m.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration backs Venezuelan congressional leader Juan Guaido in his call for a military uprising against President Nicolas Maduro.
Pompeo says in a tweet that the U.S. "fully supports" Guaido's call for the start of "Operacion Libertad." He says the U.S. stands with the Venezuelan people "in their quest for freedom and democracy." He says democracy cannot be defeated.
The Trump administration has led calls for countries to recognize Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate leader since January. Earlier, Guaidó took to the streets with activist Leopoldo Lopez and a small contingent of heavily armed troops in a bold and risky call for the military to rise up and oust Maduro.
8 a.m.
Two of the key allies of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro are denouncing an attempted "coup d'etat" in the country.
Bolivian President Evo Morales issued a call via Twitter Tuesday urging Latin American governments "to condemn the coup d'etat in Venezuela and keep the violence from claiming innocent lives."
He blamed the U.S. for "provoking violence and death in Venezuela."
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also sent a tweet backing Maduro and calling on the U.S. to "halt aggressions against the peace."
The U.S. backs opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has been joined in the streets of Caracas by some soldiers and is urging the armed forces to oust Maduro.
7:50 a.m.
One of the key allies of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is accusing the U.S. of backing a "coup" in the country.
Bolivian President Evo Morales issued a call via Twitter Tuesday urging Latin American governments "to condemn the coup d'etat in Venezuela and keep the violence from claiming innocent lives."
He blamed the U.S. for "provoking violence and death in Venezuela."
The U.S. backs opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has been joined in the streets of Caracas by some soldiers and is urging the armed forces to oust Maduro.
7:30 a.m.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the ongoing military uprising in Venezuela with his top security body.
Russian news agencies on Tuesday quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Putin raised the current developments in Venezuela during his scheduled meeting with the Security Council.
Peskov said that the meeting "paid significant attention to the news reports about a coup attempt in that country."
He did not elaborate further.
6:35 a.m.
Spain's caretaker government has called for a bloodless and peaceful transition to a democratic presidential election in Venezuela.
Government spokeswoman Isabel Celaá says the government is following closely developments in Caracas, where the opposition has called for Venezuelans to take to the streets to oust Nicolás Maduro from power.
"We hope with all of our strength that there is no bloodshed. We support a peaceful democratic process in Venezuela. We support the immediate holding of an election for a new president," Celaá said on Tuesday during a weekly routine press briefing.
Spain has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the interim president of Venezuela but has not cut ties with Maduro's government.
More than 177,000 Spaniards live in Venezuela, and Spain has become a destination for thousands of Venezuelans escaping the political and economic crisis in recent years.
Celaá said Guaidó has "legitimacy to lead democratic transition in Venezuela."
"Guaidó represents the alternative," she added.
6:10 a.m.
Venezuela's socialist party boss, Diosdado Cabello, has called on government supporters to amass at the presidential palace to defend Nicolas Maduro from what he says is a small uprising of traitorous military soldiers backed by the U.S.
His comments in a phone call to state TV came after opposition leader Juan Guaidó appeared in a video with a small contingent of heavily armed soldiers and formerly detained opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez calling for Venezuelans to take to the streets to oust Maduro.
Cabello downplayed the significance of the rebellion, saying Caracas is in calm and that the Carlota air base near where the rebellious soldiers are gathered had not been touched.
6:05 a.m.
The father of prominent Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López says he is expecting a military and popular response following the release of his son in Caracas.
"We are going to see a national call to people and the military to end the usurpation and, well, I hope that the usurpation government will end today," Leopoldo López, Sr., said Tuesday in a brief telephone conversation from the United States.
His son had been under house arrest for leading an anti-government push in 2014. He said Tuesday he had been freed by the military.
The father, who lives in Spain and has become a prominent voice of the Venezuelan opposition in exile, said that the military were obeying a presidential pardon issued by Juan Guaidó, who is leading the opposition against the government of Nicolás Maduro.
The elder López, who is running for a seat in the European Parliament at the end of May, said he couldn't comment on whether Tuesday's developments had been coordinated with the United States or other countries that have backed Guaidó.
5:50 a.m.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has taken to the streets with a small contingent of heavily-armed soldiers and detained activist Leopoldo Lopez in a military uprising.
"This is the moment of all Venezuelans, those in uniform and those who aren't," said Lopez in his first public appearance since being detained in 2014 for leading anti-government protests. "Everyone should come to the streets, in peace."
The comments by Lopez came moments after Guaidó appeared in an early morning video shot at a Caracas air base surrounded by several heavily armed soldiers and armored vehicles.
Guaido said soldiers who had taken to the streets were protecting Venezuela's constitution. He made the comments a day before a planned anti-government rally.
"The moment is now," he said.
Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on Twitter that Nicolas Maduro's government was confronting a small "coup attempt" led by military "traitors" backed by right-wing opponents.
Tear gas was fired at a highway overpass next to the Caracas air base where several heavily-armed soldiers with a blue band wrapped around their forearms had been standing guard. The tear gas appeared to have been fired from inside the air base.
5:35 a.m.
Venezuela's government said it is putting down a small coup attempt by military "traitors" working with right-wing opponents.
Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez's comments on Twitter came after opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for a military uprising in a video that showed him surrounded by heavily armed soldiers and accompanied by detained activist Leopoldo Lopez at a Caracas air base.
5:25 a.m.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has called for a military uprising, in a video shot at a Caracas air base showing him surrounded by soldiers and accompanied by detained activist Leopoldo Lopez.
In the three-minute video shot early Tuesday, Guaido said soldiers who took to the streets would be acting to protect Venezuela's constitution. He made the comments a day before a planned anti-government rally.
"The moment is now," he said, as his political mentor Lopez and several heavily armed soldiers backed by a single armored vehicle looked on.
Lopez has been under house arrest for leading an anti-government push in 2014.