Venezuela’s army declares loyalty to Maduro In this photo released by the Venezuelan Defence Ministry press office, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez delivers a message of support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, January 24, 2019. - Venezuelan Defence Ministry press office/AP)

CARACAS. – Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has hit back at his opponents at home and abroad with backing from the military and world powers like Russia and China.

According to an Associated Press report, a half-dozen generals belonging largely to district commands and with direct control over thousands of troops joined President Maduro in accusing the United States of meddling in Venezuela’s affairs and said they would uphold their Commander-in-Chief’s rule.

But the United States and its Latin American allies are demanding that President Maduro be replaced by opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who’s declared himself interim president.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the night before Guaidó declared himself interim president, the opposition leader received a phone call from US Vice President Mike Pence.

Pence pledged that the US would back Guaidó if he seized the reins of government from President Maduro by invoking a clause in the South American country’s constitution, a senior administration official, said

The Trump administration is calling a special session of the UN Security Council to discuss the crisis.

Earlier, President  Maduro called home all Venezuelan diplomats from the United States and closed its embassy and consulates there after the US declared his government “illegitimate”.

He also ordered all US embassy personnel out of Venezuela by the weekend, but on Thursday Washington refused to comply with a full expulsion, only ordering non-essential staff to leave.

Venezuela was plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday when Guaido, the 35-year-old head of the National Assembly, proclaimed himself “acting president” – earning a swift endorsement from the US and a dozen regional powers, including Brazil, Argentina and Colombia.

In a speech broadcast on state television on Thursday, President Maduro accused the US of leading a “major provocation against Venezuela”.

“They believe they have a colonial hold in Venezuela, where they decide what they want to do,” Maduro said.

He gave US embassy staff until Sunday to leave the country saying that he had “decided to break diplomatic and political relations with the imperialist government of Donald Trump and expel all his diplomatic and consular staff of Venezuela”.

But Washington said it was ignoring the order as it no longer recognisedPresident Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president.

The State Department said it would maintain diplomatic ties with the country “through the government of interim President Guaido”.

World powers, including Russia and China, have criticised the US interference and backed Maduro’s government.

Meanwhile, all eyes were on Guaido whose whereabouts have been unknown since he was symbolically sworn in on Wednesday before tens of thousands of cheering supporters, promising to uphold the constitution and rid Venezuela of Maduro’s government.

Speaking from an undisclosed location, Guaido told broadcaster Univision he would consider granting amnesty to Maduro and his allies if they would step aside.

“Amnesty is on the table,” said Guaido, who just weeks earlier was named the head of the opposition-controlled Congress.

“Those guarantees are for all those who are willing to side with the constitution to recover the constitutional order.”

Besides the US, much of the international community has rallied behind Guaido, with Canada and numerous Latin American and European countries announcing that they recognised his claim to the presidency.

President Donald Trump promised to use the “full weight” of the US’s economic and diplomatic power to remove Maduro from power. When asked about the possibility of military action on Wednesday, he told reporters: “We are not considering anything, but all options are on the table.”

Meanwhile, Russia, China, Iran, Mexico, Syria, Cuba and Turkey have voiced their backing for Maduro’s government.

China’s Foreign Ministry called on the US to stay out of the crisis, while Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Maduro to express support, charging that the “crisis has been provoked from the outside”.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister has also warned the US against any military intervention in Venezuela.

Diplomats at the Organisation of American States held an emergency meeting on Thursday on the Venezuelan crisis, during which 16 nations recognised Guaido as interim president. – Al Jazeera/HR

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