- The Washington Times - Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Amid a popular uprising and violence in the streets, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was planning to flee for Cuba but was convinced by Russia to stay and fight for his survival, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday.

The stunning allegation adds another level of geopolitical intrigue to the situation in Caracas, where opposition leader Juan Guaido on Tuesday called on his supporters to rally and force Mr. Maduro to step down.

The U.S. and more than 50 other nations have rejected Mr. Maduro and instead recognize Mr. Guaido as the rightful leader of Venezuela.

Russia, however, remains a key supporter and their backing seems to have been crucial in keeping Mr. Maduro in power, at least for the time being.

“We’ve watched throughout the day, it’s been a long time since anyone’s seen Maduro,” Mr. Pompeo said in an interview with CNN. “He had an airplane on the tarmac, he was ready to leave this morning as we understand it and the Russians indicated he should stay.”

U.S. officials for months have blasted Russia’s involvement in the Venezuelan crisis. Officials in Moscow on Tuesday blamed Washington and the “radical opposition in Venezuela” for the unfolding violence.

• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.

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