Protesters, military clash in streets in Venezuela

Tensions have boiled over in Venezuela, where opposition leader Juan Guaidó has orchestrated mass demonstrations throughout the country.

Earlier on Tuesday, Guaidó declared that he had gained the military's support and together they would launch the final phase of a coup to expel Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his Socialist Party from office. Maduro's communications minister refuted that idea, however, saying the military remained loyal to the government.

The day, as it turned out, has largely been marked by confusion. There are some reports, for instance, that show the Venezuelan National Guard refusing to confront the protesters.

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However, some graphic footage shows the same branch of the military running over protesters with their armored vehicles. With that in mind, it seems a small faction of the military flipped to Guaidó's side this morning, while the rest — and majority — of the armed forces remain in Maduro's camp. That would be in line with earlier comments from Venezuela's information minister, who said only a small group of "military traitors" now stand with Guaidó.

One of Venezuela's top journalists, Luz Mely Reyes, however, reportedly provides a different explanation, suggesting that Guaidó did, in fact, have more military support, but significant circumstances altered his plan. Tim O'Donnell