NEW YORK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2019) An emergency rally to defend Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the Bolivarian Revolution will take place in New York and other US cities on Saturday, Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee made an announcement on its website on Friday.
"Emergency rallies have been organized in multiple cities around the country to protest the attempted coup in Venezuela, the recognition of that coup by the governments of the U.S., Canada, and others, and to defend President Nicolas Maduro and the Bolivarian Revolution," the announcement said.
In New York, the protest is scheduled to take place at the Union Square Park in Manhattan on Saturday and aims to challenge US President Donald Trump's recognition of the head of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaido as the president of the South American country. The organizers of the rally claim that the opposition leader lacks electoral legitimacy for the post.
The declaration by the United States to recognize Juan Guiado as the constitutional interim President of Venezuela is designed to promote destabilizing activities in the country, including sanctions and armed coups, the announcement said.
Protesters will take place in Washington, D.C., Pittsburg, Dallas, Miami, San Jose, and Minneapolis among other cities to rally on Saturday.
On Tuesday, the situation in Venezuela escalated when the opposition-controlled National Assembly declared that President Nicolas Maduro had usurped power. National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president the following day.
Maduro called the opposition leader a US puppet and accused the United States of organizing a coup in Venezuela. Maduro also decided to sever diplomatic relations with the United States and asked US diplomats to leave Venezuela within 72 hours. However, the United States has refused to withdraw its diplomats.
Some countries, including Brazil, Canada and the United States, immediately recognized Guaido's interim presidency. Other states, such as Russia and Mexico, voiced their support for Maduro as the country's legitimate president.
