How Maduro Beat Guaidó and the US in Venezuela’s Long Standoff

In 2019, Juan Guaidó proclaimed himself the true leader of Venezuela. The fresh-faced opposition leader met world leaders at Davos, received a standing ovation at a US State of the Union Address by President Donald Trump and led giant protests in Caracas. A stalemate developed, as Guaidó was unable to oust President Nicolás Maduro and Maduro wasn’t able to douse public support for Guaidó. Four years of limbo ended with Guaidó pushed out as the head of the opposition and Maduro winning back the recognition of many foreign governments. He’s orchestrated a surprising, though fragile, economic rebound with the help of sanctions relief from the Biden administration.

Guaidó proclaimed himself interim president by claiming that Venezuela’s constitution allowed him to take that step as head of the National Assembly, which he called the country’s last democratically elected body. Maduro, who had been narrowly elected after the death of leftist president Hugo Chavez in 2013, had won reelection in 2018 in a vote the opposition and foreign observers said was fraudulent. Foreign governments, led by the US, switched their recognition to Guaidó, backing him as the rightful leader. That left Venezuela in a bizarre situation: Maduro held the presidency in Caracas and all the power in Venezuela, but Guaidó was recognized as the interim president by dozens of foreign governments.