Guaido Returns to Venezuela, Calls for More Protests

 

Venezuelan opposition¹ leader Juan Guaido returned home to Venezuela on Monday and urged his supporters to intensify² their campaign to oust³ President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido spent the last week traveling outside the country, having ignored an official ban on foreign travel.

There were concerns that Guaido might be detained upon his return. But the 35-year-old said he got through immigration checks at Venezuela’s main airport with no problems. He was met at the airport by top diplomats⁴ from the United States, Germany, Spain and other countries.

Guaido later spoke⁵ to a crowd of demonstrators in Caracas. He called on his supporters across the country to fill the streets on Saturday to protest Maduro’s hold on power.

Guaido is leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly. He declared himself interim⁶ president of Venezuela on January 23, two weeks after Maduro began his second six-year term. Many Venezuelans say the election should not be recognized because Maduro barred his opponents from running against him.

In the last week, Guaido visited Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Ecuador -- all countries that support his claim to be Venezuela’s interim president.

Guaido said he hopes his return to Venezuela will increase pressure on Maduro to resign so a temporary government can prepare the country for fair and free elections.

Maduro has said he is the target of a U.S.-backed plot to overthrow⁷ him. The United States and about 50 other countries have recognized Guaido as the true leader of Venezuela.

There was no immediate⁸ comment Monday from the Maduro government, which has in the past jailed and driven into exile other key opposition leaders.

Instead, the Maduro government has been trying to center the public’s attention on the carnival⁹ celebrations going on this week. On Sunday, Maduro tweeted that Venezuelans nationwide were enjoying carnival “in peace and happiness.”

Among the demonstrators who waited for Guaido at the Caracas gathering¹⁰ Monday was Wildredo Moya. He is a 55-year-old former construction worker. He said Venezuelans hoping for change should understand it will take time.

“It’s a long process,” Moya said.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

interim - adj. used or accepted for a limited time : not permanent

construction - n. the act or process of building something (such as a house or road)

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

3 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

7 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

9 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。