Venezuelan coup attempt draws mixed reactions

ANKARA / CARACAS / MADRID

A coup attempt Tuesday by U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido drew mixed reactions from world leaders.

Cuba and Bolivia said they stand with the Venezuelan government against the plot led by Guaido, who declared himself the country’s "interim president" in January.

"We strongly reject this coup, which aims to plunge the country into violence," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Twitter, adding his country condemns the initiative of armed groups “aimed at creating terror on the streets of Venezuela”.

"We are with the people of Venezuela," he added.

Bolivian President Evo Morales also strongly condemned the coup attempt, noting it is "serving foreign interests".

"We are with brother [Nicolas] Maduro and the friendly people of Venezuela," Morales wrote on Twitter, referring to the country’s president.

Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa said the solution in Venezuela must be attained through peaceful means.

"We don't support any military coup," Celaa added.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement, in which it called on all sides to renounce the use of violence.

“The radical opposition in Venezuela has again resorted to violent methods of confrontation,” it said.

It stressed that it is important to avoid disorder and bloodshed.

“The problems facing Venezuela should be resolved via a responsible negotiation process without preconditions.

“Any actions should be taken exclusively within the confines of the law, in strict conformity with the Constitution and without destructive interference from outside the country,” it added.

Colombian President Ivan Duque, meanwhile, backed the coup attempt.

"We call on the military and the people of Venezuela to be on the right side of history," he said, adding he "rejects dictatorship and Maduro’s usurpation".

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also supported a "democratic transition" in Venezuela through the coup attempt.

"Brazil is closely following the situation in Venezuela and reaffirms its support for the democratic transition taking place in the neighboring country," he wrote on Twitter.

Mauricio Macri, president of Argentina, also expressed his support for Guaido on Twitter, adding that "we support more than ever democracy in Venezuela".

"We hope that this is the decisive moment to restore democracy," he added.

Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera also reiterated his "total support" for Guaido.

"The Maduro dictatorship must end by peaceful force and within the constitution of the Venezuelan people. This will restore freedoms, democracy, human rights and progress in #Venezuela," Pinera said in a Twitter post.

"Brave people of Venezuela! Your time has come!" said a Twitter post by Paraguay's President Mario Abdo Benitez, who has been supporting Guaido from the beginning.

'Final phase of freedom operation starts'

Earlier Tuesday, Guaido released a video on Twitter in which he could be seen alongside soldiers calling for an uprising to end the "usurpation" of Maduro.

He stressed that this was the beginning of the final phase of “Operation Freedom” to oust Maduro.

"The National Armed Forces have made the right decision. They have the support of the Venezuelan people," he said.

Guaido also called on the public to take to the streets to support the "democratic forces" and "restore the country's freedom".

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10, when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Tensions escalated when Guaido, who heads Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself acting president on Jan. 23, a move which was supported by the U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.

*With contributions by Senhan Bolelli from Madrid, Zehra Nur Duz and Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara