Venezuela's Maduro claims to have thwarted 'coup,' while opposition urges new massive protests

Anti-Maduro protester in Colombia
(Image credit: Raul Arboleda/AFP/Getty Images)

After a confusing 24 hours of dueling protests and rival claims of military backing, Venezuela ended up Wednesday morning roughly where it started the day Tuesday: Deeply divided, with President Nicolás Maduro in charge.

Maduro, sitting next to the heads of the armed forces, said in a televised address Tuesday night that his troops had thwarted a putsch by Venezuela's "coup-mongering far right," backed by the "deranged" Trump administration. He said the "serious crimes" of the opposition would "not go unpunished" and denied Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's assertions that he had been on the cusp of fleeing to Cuba, saying, "Señor Pompeo, please."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.