In a three-minute video, Guaido said soldiers who take to the streets would be acting to protect Venezuela’s constitution
HORRIFYING video and images shows President Nicolas Maduro's armoured cars ploughing into anti-regime protesters in Venezuela.
The under-siege tyrant ordered loyal troops onto the streets of Caracas after opposition leader Juan Guaido issued a call for a popular uprising supported by soldiers who had defected from the regime.
US President Donald Trump last night tweeted: "I am monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely.
"The United States stands with the People of Venezuela and their Freedom!"
Disturbing TV footage showed three Venezuelan National Guard armoured personnel carriers arriving at a demonstration before two turn into the crowd.
Other images — which appear to have been taken in a different spot to the footage — also show a demonstrator being run over.
Protesters could be seen throwing missiles at the white vehicles while tear gas canisters and rubber bullets were fired at them.
The violence in Venezuela yesterday comes as the country continues to be mired in deep economic distress.
This is despite it having the world's largest oil reserves and once being South America's richest nation.
When oil prices crashed in 2014, the Venezuelan government had not used the prosperous years to build up reserves to fall back on.
Large areas of the collapsing country have been left in the dark for days at a time by power outages.
People have begun to starve amid food shortages.
But rather than raise taxes or cut spending, the Maduro government printed more money, which in turn caused hyperinflation at an astonishing 1.7 million per cent, meaning the currency and people's savings are close to worthless.
The United States stands with the People of Venezuela and their Freedom
US President Donald Trump
More than three million Venezuelans have fled in recent years.
Maduro has strongly resisted calls for an early vote or that he leave power early before his six-year second term ends in 2025, sparking huge anti-government demonstrations.
But Tuesday marked the most violent episode of Venezuela's growing political crisis, with a day of mayhem that involved:
Embattled Maduro meanwhile called for his supporters to take to the streets with "nerves of steel" after his US-backed rival Guaido called for a military uprising ahead of a major march in the capital tomorrow.
The "interim president" made his call to arms against regime surrounded by dozens of defecting troops outside an air force base in the capital Caracas.
In a dawn address Guaido declared the "beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom" had begun.
Meanwhile US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Maduro had been about to leave his country this morning but was talked out of it by the Russians who back his regime.
He claimed: “We’ve watched throughout the day, it’s been a long time since anyone’s seen Maduro.
"He had an airplane on the tarmac, he was ready to leave this morning as we understand it and the Russians indicated he should stay.”
Government security forces fired tear gas at Guaido, his supporters and around 70 armed men in military uniform.
Video footage showed people fleeing as the sound of bullets being fired rang through the air.
So far, the military, and in particular the higher ranks, have repeatedly pledged their loyalty to President Maduro.
He defiantly tweeted: "Nerves of steel. I call for maximum popular mobilisation to assure the victory of peace. We will win!"
Maduro said he had spoken with military leaders and they had shown him "their total loyalty".
But in a bid to gain armed forces support, the opposition has developed an amnesty proposal that would grant amnesty to soldiers who willingly break ranks with the current government.
US national security adviser John Bolton appeared to back Juan Guaido and back his effort to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
"The FANB must protect the Constitution and the Venezuelan people. It should stand by the National Assembly and the legitimate institutions against the usurpation of democracy.
"The United States stands with the people of Venezuela," Bolton tweeted, referring to the FANB armed forces.
Meanwhile, Venezuela's socialist party boss, Diosdado Cabello, called on government supporters to amass at the presidential palace to defend Maduro from what he called a small uprising of traitorous military soldiers backed by the US.
He desperately tried to downplay the significance of the rebellion, saying Caracas is calm and that the air base near where the rebellious soldiers are gathered had not been touched.
Cabello said the opposition had not been able to take over the air base, which he said remained "absolutely under the operational control" of the government.
In the three-minute video, Guaido said any soldiers who took to the streets would be acting to protect Venezuela’s constitution.
He made the comments a day before a planned anti-government rally due to be held on Wednesday.
“The moment is now,” he said, as his political mentor Leopoldo Lopez and several heavily armed soldiers backed by a single armoured vehicle looked on.
Meanwhile supporters of UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn — a vocal admirer of the embattled socialist regime — dubbed the uprising a "Pincohet-style coup".
Corbynista MP Chris Williamson said: "It appears that the USA is ramping up its efforts to overthrow the legitimate and democratically elected President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, in a military coup."
Lopez has been under house arrest for leading an anti-government push in 2014.
Guaido later told CNN Espanol: "“Evidently, there is no such backing of the armed forces to Maduro’s regime.
"Communication was blocked between civilian leaders and the democratic armed forces of Venezuela … but we have been able to pierce through that.
“It’s great news for the entire country that the military of Venezuela’s armed forces have taken this step. They were an important part of this.
"This was fundamental not only for a transitioning, but to recover Venezuela’s sovereignty. Here we are next to our legislators, the military and soon with the people of Venezuela.
"We are determined to conquer freedom for our country.”
Regarding Lopez, Guaido said: “We have decreed amnesty and the release for jailed politicians. This is the beginning of the (release) of political leaders and military personnel.”
While most military leaders openly back Maduro, the lower ranks are ill-equipped and are constantly monitored by the intelligence services.
Salaries have hugely decreased over the years and more than 4,000 low-ranking officers have deserted during the last 12 months.
"The middle ranks are earning around $3 to $4 a month, and that is impacting their own structure," said one expert on Venezuela's armed forces.
The military has also struggled to maintain its equipment as it suffers from a shortage of spare parts.
According to some analysts, intelligence agents are also embedded among the military forces to guard against anti-regime activity.
Those troops who support the opposition have been accused of betrayal and have been arrested, according to Human Rights Watch.
Authorities have also arrested the family members of some suspects in an effort to determine their whereabouts, the rights group said.
Venezuelan Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez tweeted that the government was confronting a small group of "military traitors" seeking to promote a coup.
Guaido, in the video posted on his Twitter account, spoke in the company of men in military uniform and opposition politician Lopez, who is under house arrest.
"The national armed forces have taken the correct decision, and they are counting on the support of the Venezuelan people," Guaido said.
President Donald Trump is monitoring the situation in Venezuela, the White House said this afternoon.
Spain said it did not support any military coup, even though it considered Guaido as the country's legitimate leader.
Guaido, the leader of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, in January invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing that Maduro's re-election in 2018 was illegitimate.
He has been travelling outside the capital, Caracas, more and more in recent weeks to try to put pressure on Maduro to step down.
Protests are planned for Wednesday including what Guaido has said will be "the largest march in Venezuela's history", part of what he calls the "definitive phase" of his effort to take office in order to call fresh elections.
Around 50 countries including the United States have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's interim president.
Maduro calls Guaido a US-backed puppet who seeks to oust him in a coup. The government has arrested his top aide, stripped Guaido of his parliamentary immunity and barred him from leaving the country
Last week, Guaido said his congressional ally - opposition lawmaker Gilber Caro - had been detained, and that 11 members of his team had been summoned to appear before the Sebin intelligence agency.
