Juan Guaidó

Juan Gerardo Antonio Guaidó Márquez (born 28 July 1983) is a Venezuelan politician and opposition figure. He belonged to the social-democratic party Popular Will, and was a federal deputy to the National Assembly representing the state of Vargas. He was a key figure in the Venezuelan presidential crisis against Nicolás Maduro from 2019 to 2023.

Guaidó's political career began when he emerged as a student leader in the 2007 Venezuelan protests. He then helped found the Popular Will party with Leopoldo López in 2009, and was elected to be an alternate deputy in the National Assembly one year later in 2010. In 2015, Guaidó was elected as a full-seat deputy. Following a protocol to annually rotate the position of President of the National Assembly among political parties, Popular Will nominated Guaidó for the position in 2019. On 23 January 2019, the National Assembly, which viewed the 2018 Venezuelan presidential election as illegitimate and refused to recognize the inauguration of Nicolás Maduro to a second presidential term on 10 January, declared that he was acting president of Venezuela and Guaidó swore himself into office, starting the Venezuelan presidential crisis.

The Maduro administration froze Guaidó's Venezuelan assets, launched a probe accusing Guaidó of foreign interference, and threatened violence against him. Following a failed April 2019 uprising, representatives of Guaidó and Maduro began mediation. In January 2020, security forces prevented Guaidó and other congress members from entering the legislative palace during an internal election to choose the board of directors. A majority of lawmakers held an "emergency meeting" and voted to re-elect Guaidó as their leader, while the remaining lawmakers at the legislative palace elected Luis Parra. Security forces denied Guaidó and opposition lawmakers access to parliament many times since.

After the announcement of regional elections in 2021, Guaidó announced a "national salvation agreement" and proposed negotiation with Maduro with a schedule for free and fair elections, with international support and observers, in exchange for lifting international sanctions. Domestically, Guaidó's actions included a proposed Plan País (Country Plan), an amnesty law for military personnel and authorities who turn against the Maduro government, attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to the country, and social bonuses for health workers during COVID-19 pandemic. Internationally, Guaidó gained control of some Venezuelan assets and property in the United States and United Kingdom, and appointed diplomats which had been recognized by supportive governments.

In December 2022, three of the four main opposition political parties approved to reorganize the interim government into a commission to manage foreign assets, as deputies sought a united strategy ahead of the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election. Dinorah Figuera was elected as Guaidó's successor on 5 January 2023, ending his presidential claim. In April 2023 he fled to the United States citing fears of his arrest. On 6 October 2023, the Maduro administration charged Guaidó with money laundering, treason, and usurping public functions, issued an arrest warrant and asked the international community to cooperate with an arrest of Guaidó, requesting a red notice be issued by Interpol. Guaidó has denied the charges made against him in the arrest warrant.