WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Venezuela's
main opposition leader, Juan
Guaido, returned to his country
today, a week after
deadly clashes erupted
over aid shipments
delivered to his nation's
borders.
Today, thousands gathered in
the streets of Caracas, the
capital, to welcome home the
man the U.S. considers the
rightful president of Venezuela.
Guaido says he will continue
his effort to unseat sitting
President Nicolas Maduro.
Nick Schifrin has this update.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Juan Guaido
had kept details of his travel
back into the country secret,
fearing the Maduro
government might arrest him.
The U.S. had warned it
would impose a -- quote -
- "strong and significant
response" if anything
happened to him.
But Guaido arrived
safely in Caracas, and
urged his supporters to
intensify their campaign
against Maduro.
JUAN GUAIDO, President,
Venezuelan National
Assembly (through
translator): They threaten
all of us here.
They threatened me
with jail and death.
It will not be through
persecution, it will
not be through threats
they will hold us back.
We are here, and we're
more united than ever.
We are here and are
stronger than ever.
NICK SCHIFRIN: The U.S. has been
supporting Guaido even before
he declared himself interim
president on January 23.
But, so far, Maduro has resisted
pressure to step down, and
doesn't appear to be going
anywhere.
So, what's next and where does
the opposition go from here?
To talk about that, I'm
joined by Carlos Vecchio,
Guaido's representative
here in Washington,
who is recognized by the
administration as the
Venezuelan ambassador.
Thank you very much for
being on the "NewsHour."
CARLOS VECCHIO, U.S.-Recognized
Venezuelan Ambassador:
Thank you for having me.
NICK SCHIFRIN: So far, Maduro
has resisted international
diplomatic pressure, massive
political protests
in the streets, major
sanctions,and an effort to
force in humanitarian aid.
So, what can you
realistically to increase
the pressure and oust Maduro?
CARLOS VECCHIO: Well, what
we saw today tells you that
we're in the right path.
I mean, we have a
man of his word.
He said and he promised to
the people of Venezuela that
he would return to Venezuela.
He did it.
And this makes us stronger.
And I think the
regime is weaker.
And we need to increase all
the pressure at the street
levels with demonstrations.
We are calling for
a new demonstration
this coming Saturday.
We will need to increase
our pressure at the
level of the National
Assembly, which Islamist
only elected institution
in Venezuela, and also from
the international community.
And if we increase the
level of pressure in
these three different
levels, I think we could
find a peaceful
solution in Venezuela.
That's what we want.
NICK SCHIFRIN: If those three
elements of pressure doesn't
work, would you support a
military intervention?
CARLOS VECCHIO: I would say
we want to work with these
three different levels.
Nobody wants a war.
We have a war in
place right now.
Maduro has created a manmade
disaster in Venezuela.
We are having the consequence
of having a war with
a war in certain way.
And he's trying to
push to that scenario.
And we need to avoid it.
That's why we need to
increase the pressure now.
We have the opportunity
to avoid a war right now.
So we need to increase that
pressure if we want to find a
peaceful solution in Venezuela.
But, of course, all the options
will be on the table, but the
main obstacle for a peaceful
solution in Venezuela is Maduro.
That's why we need to
increase the pressure now.
NICK SCHIFRIN: One of the
points of pressure, of
course, will be economic.
The economy is expected
to collapse even more
than it already has
in the coming months,
thanks to U.S. sanctions.
Do you fear that, as that
economic pressure increases,
the people of Venezuela will be
hurt even more before
Maduro is ousted?
CARLOS VECCHIO: I would say
that the worst sanction that
Venezuela has is Maduro.
All this disaster started
a long way ago, even before
the sanctions were imposed.
So, if Maduro continues
in power, you will see a
catastrophe in Venezuela.
You will see more than five
million people out of Venezuela.
So, that's why we
need to stop that.
It's enough.
Twenty years has been too much.
We have a huge opportunity
in front of us in order
to recover our democracy.
So the time to increase the
pressure is now to avoid
exactly what we are seeing right
now in Venezuela.
Maduro has imposed 10
million percent of inflation.
We don't have any sanction from
the U.S., any sanction, and
Maduro has imposed 80 percent
of poverty in Venezuela.
The economic collapse is twice
the size of the Great Depression
the U.S. had during the
'30s.
So, the problem is Maduro.
And if we want to
resolve the humanitarian
crisis in Venezuela,
we need to recover our
democracy.
We need to end the usurpation
of power of Maduro.
And that's why we are
pushing this pressure in
Venezuela on the streets.
NICK SCHIFRIN: The military will
be much of the linchpin here.
A lot of people describe the
military's support of Maduro as
really the only reason that he
can maintain power.
Have you had any talks directly
with the military leadership?
CARLOS VECCHIO: We have been
talking with them publicly.
Juan Guaido is the new commander
in chief of the armed force.
And we are telling them,
I mean, you need to
support the constitution.
You need to back the new
president of Venezuela.
You need to be on the side of
the people who are suffering.
And the majority of the
soldiers, troops, they
are with us, because
they are Venezuelans.
They are suffering the same
thing that all the united
people are suffering.
So they know the reality.
And at the end of the
day, I will -- they will
support what we are doing.
They will support the
change in Venezuela.
And I don't have any doubt that
the military, at the end of
the day, will support what we
are doing.
NICK SCHIFRIN: But, as you know,
the commanders of military, the
leadership of the military...
CARLOS VECCHIO:
You mean the top?
Yes.
NICK SCHIFRIN: The top of
the military does still
support Maduro and gets...
CARLOS VECCHIO: Yes.
NICK SCHIFRIN: ... quite a
lot of economic, diplomatic,
political incentives from the
government.
CARLOS VECCHIO: They are
loyal, until they aren't.
That has been our history.
NICK SCHIFRIN: So, how do you
-- what's the tipping point?
How do you convince
them not to be loyal?
(CROSSTALK)
CARLOS VECCHIO: I would
say, if we increase the
level of pressure in
these three different
levels, on the streets, from
the National Assembly, from
the international community,
that will help to move also
the military force to back
what we are doing in Venezuela.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Much of
the pressure, of course,
has come from the U.S.
Much of the support you
receive has come from the U.S.
Do you fear that gives Maduro
a convenient excuse, where he
can say, look, it's the Yankees
who are doing this, and
that's part of the problem?
CARLOS VECCHIO: I would say
that he's manipulating that.
That is not the reality.
NICK SCHIFRIN: But is it not
true that the U.S. is supporting
you, supporting Guaido?
CARLOS VECCHIO: No, no, it
has become a strong ally.
But I would say that this is
a movement led by Venezuelans,
under the leadership of Juan
Guaido as interim president.
The people that you saw in
that video, are they Americans?
No, they are Venezuelans.
Who was just talking before
of them -- before them?
Trump?
No, Juan Guaido.
He is mobilizing the people.
So, this is the agenda
which has been set by us.
And, of course, we are getting
the support of the international
community, and not only
from the U.S., from the
most important Latin
American countries, and
also from the European
countries.
So this is a fight between
democracy and dictatorship.
This is a fight between the free
world and the regime of Maduro.
So that's the way we see it.
And I feel so proud to be a
Venezuelan and a Latino, because
the cause of Venezuela is
taking place in our
country, because of the
courage of our people.
They're putting their life at
risk right now, including Juan
Guaido, in order to achieve
our democracy.
So we need to respect that.
And getting the support
of the U.S., that's good.
And it has become, as I said,
an important ally on this,
but, I mean, this is beyond
the U.S.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Carlos Vecchio,
recognized as the ambassador
by this administration,
thank you very much.
CARLOS VECCHIO: Thank
you for this time.