Venezuela: Juan Guaidó acknowledged spending nearly $150 million during his ‘interim government’

Juan Guaidothe self-proclaimed president of the “Interim government” in Venezuela for nearly four years, he acknowledged Thursday that he spent nearly $150 million during “his tenure.” In a showdown he offered in Caracas, gave some details about these manipulations, which must now be reviewed by the opposition.

“The budget (…) has not reached 150 million (dollars). In four years, it is more or less the budget of this municipality (Caracas Libertador), for one year, that is, all that has been used with public funds , that’s more or less the budget of a municipality in the capital for a year,” Guaidó told reporters.

He stressed that the expenditures have always been authorized “unanimously” by former opposition MPs elected in 2015, whose mandate expired in January 2021, who maintain a sort of parallel Parliament active in ignorance of the current Legislature, controlled by the ruling party.

“One could say (that) is a lot (or) is little. (But), how much does it cost to defend democracy, recover and face a dictatorship? of Nicolás Maduro as head of state.

Among the details given, he pointed out that it was from 2020 when they started using public funds to “alleviate the crisis”. That year, he explained, “70% of the budget was precisely” for the provision of bonuses to health professionals working to contain the pandemic from COVID-19.

Already in 2021 “almost 50% was allocated to social assistance” and another point for the “sustainability” of the parallel parliament, Guaidó said he had not explained the type of social assistance provided during that year or how much money was allocated to pay the salaries of that interim, which it has been recognized by the United States and some 50 countries.

The reckoning will be sent to the group of former deputies who continue to meet weekly and who control part of Venezuela’s wealth in countries that do not recognize the legitimacy of the Chavista government.

The United States withdrew its support for Guaidó

In the first days of 2023, for the first time the US State Department announced that it did not recognize the “interim presidency” of Juan Guaidó. The opposition leader has had Washington’s backing since January 2019, when the young politician proclaimed himself president of Venezuela.

Guaidó was recognized by dozens of countries as the true leader of Venezuela, considering that the government of Nicolás Maduro was illegitimate after winning rigged elections in which much of the opposition was unable to participate.

When he assumed his parallel mandate, he denounced a “usurpation of power” by Maduro, and promised a transitional government and free elections. However, the goal of removing the Chavist leader from power did not work.

With 72 votes in favor, 29 against and 8 abstentions, the opposition – led by the parties Primero Justicia, Acción Democrática and Un Nuevo Tiempo – decided last Thursday that Guaidó will not continue as head of Venezuela’s interim presidency.

In any case, until this Tuesday the opposition leader maintained the description of “President (I) of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela” on his social networks.

For its part, the State Department has come to recognize the members of the National Assembly elected in 2015 as leaders, considering that Maduro “is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela”.

With information from the EFE agency

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