US: Pence urges Venezuelans to back opposition leader

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday delivered a video message to Venezuelans in support of the country's opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Pence delivered the address in English, with a few Spanish phrases mixed in, and called on Venezuelans to come together before a demonstration is planned to take place Wednesday, marking the fall of Venezuela's military government in 1958.

"As you make your voices heard tomorrow, on behalf of the American people, we say to all the good people of Venezuela: estamos con ustedes," Pence said in Spanish, followed by English: "We are with you, we stand with you, and we will stay with you until democracy is restored and you reclaim your birthright of libertad."

Pence also criticized Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro, calling him a "dictator" with no legitimate claim to power.

Maduro first took office in 2013 following the death of his predecessor Hugo Chavez.

The Venezuelan president is set to govern for another six-year term, from January 2019 to 2025 after being inaugurated earlier this month.

The U.S. has criticized Maduro throughout his time in office, and shown support for Venezuela's National Assembly, led by Guaido, as the "last vestige of democracy."

Miguel Pizarro, deputy to the National Assembly for the city of Petare, said the march on Wednesday will be the day the citizens will show their power and millions of Venezuelans will tell the international community that the fight will not end.