Venezuelan opposition leader arrives in US: State Department

WASHINGTON

Juan Guaido, the former leader of Venezuela's opposition interim government, has safely arrived in the US after traveling to Colombia, the State Department confirmed Tuesday.

US diplomats "worked closely with the Colombian government to help him get to safely to the United States," spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at the State Department.

"We are thankful for the government to the Government of Colombia for supporting Venezuelans fleeing their country due to persecution and the humanitarian crisis inside Venezuela," he added.

Multiple reports earlier suggested Guaido, whom the US had previously recognized as Venezuela's interim leader amid a bitter standoff with President Nicolas Maduro, had flown to Miami, Florida in a surprise visit.

Guaido entered Colombia on Monday to attend a summit organized by Colombian President Gustavo Petro in the capital, Bogota, that seeks to promote talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

Guaido left Caracas on Saturday by land and arrived on Monday in Colombian territory. In a statement published on his Twitter account, the opposition leader said he had crossed the border into Colombia “on foot” and intended to meet with international delegates attending Tuesday’s summit.

Guaido's trip to Colombia breaches a ban to leave the country imposed by Venezuela’s Supreme Court in January 2019. The opposition leader also defied the court-imposed ban to travel to Colombia in January 2020.

The politician held until the beginning of the year the interim presidency that received the support of Washington and more than 50 other countries. But the opposition-led National Assembly voted in December to remove him from the post.

The Colombian government has said that “only the countries invited to participate in the conversation” will be allowed to attend Venezuela's summit.