Umar Farooq
26 January 2019•Update: 26 January 2019
By Umar Farooq
WASHINGTON
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence made a telephone call with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan the night before he declared himself interim president, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Pence promised the U.S. would support , president of the National if he took control of the government from its leader Nicolas Maduro, a senior administration official told the newspaper.
The telephone call came after a plan by Washington “developed in secret over the preceding several weeks, accompanied by talks between U.S. officials, allies, lawmakers and key Venezuelan opposition figures, including Mr. Guaido himself," the Journal said.
It noted Venezuela had been one of Trump's key foreign policy concerns since he took office.
Following mass demonstrations across the country, declared Maduro's government illegitimate Wednesday and said he would become , invoking a clause in Venezuelan Constitution.
The announcement was followed by a statement from U.S. President Donald Trump recognizing as the new president.
Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama and Paraguay have followed suit while Bolivia and Mexico continue to recognize Maduro.
On Jan. 15, Pence made a similar telephone call to and offered the U.S.'s resolute support for the National Assembly as the only legitimate democratic body in .
