What’s Really Going On in Venezuela
It may have the hallmarks of a classic coup, but there are differences.
A supporter of Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido displays a national flag during clash with forces loyal to President Nicolas Maduro.
Photographer: YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images
What’s been happening today in Venezuela has all the hallmarks of an old-fashioned South American coup: protesters confronting military vehicles in the streets, shots fired, infrastructure burning, flags waving.
But “coup” is the wrong word to describe the uprising being led by interim president Juan Guaido, writes Eli Lake. That term typically refers to a sudden, violent, often illegitimate overthrow of a sitting government. In this case, Guaido is widely seen as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, Lake points out, while current de facto President Nicolas Maduro is the illegitimate usurper using force to cling to power.