The South Korean foreign ministry has announced that the country recognizes Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-led National Assembly, as interim president of Venezuela.
The United States was one of the first countries to recognize Guaido, later joined Canada, Lima Group and other Latin American countries, while Russia, China, and Mexico, among others, support Nicolas Maduro, who has repeatedly accused the U.S. of staging a coup.
The South Koreans explained the decision by citing what they described as a “lack of validity and transparency” in Venezuela’s presidential election, that re-elected Maduro for a second term, held in May 2018 and urged Venezuela to hold a “credible” vote under the supervision of “interim president” Juan Guaido.
The political situation in Venezuela remains complicated. Clashes between the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and protesters on Venezuela’s borders with Colombia and Brazil has led to at least five people killed and 335 injured.
Reacting to the unrest, the country’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez stated that Venezuela would close the border with Brazil and the three bridges connecting Colombia and Venezuela.
On Saturday, Maduro broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia, ordering its diplomats out of the country in 24 hours.
The violence is connected with US humanitarian aid, amassed in Colombia when two convoys attempted to cross into Venezuela from Brazil and Colombia on Saturday.
Maduro has repeatedly said he will not support any presidential election in the country, suggesting the “imperialists” should wait until 2025 for the next presidential vote.
In one recent statement, Maduro stressed that he was not going to back down, saying that he “is governing Venezuela and will continue governing it”.
