Hugo Carvajal calls Maduro's government illegal

Baku. 22 February. REPORT.AZ/ The Deputy from the ruling United socialist party of Venezuela and former head of military intelligence Hugo Carvajal declared opposition leader Juan Guiado acting President of the Republic.

"Sir, the interim President of Venezuela Juan Guiado Marquez, another soldier ready to fight for freedom and democracy side by you," he said in a video message posted on Twitter.

Carvajal, who led the military intelligence under former President Hugo Chavez, also called the government of the current head of state Nicolas Maduro illegal and urged the Venezuelan military not to interfere with the import of foreign humanitarian aid.

On 23 January, Guiado, whose appointment as speaker of Parliament had been annulled two days earlier by the Venezuelan Supreme court, declared himself interim President. He was recognized as the interim head of state by the United States, joined by the countries of the Lee Group (with the exception of Mexico), the Organization of American States and a number of European countries. Maduro called the incident a coup attempt and announced severance of diplomatic relations with the United States. Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Syria and Turkey also supported him.