Netanyahu’s announcement followed an “unequivocal” recommendation from the Foreign Ministry to the prime minister to support Guaido. Immediately following the decision, US ambassador to Israel David Friedman tweeted, “Appreciation and kudos to the Government of Israel for standing with the people of Venezuela and the forces of freedom and democracy.”#Venezuela: this one is for spin doctors and media expert. Two #presidents, both on tellie at the same time, one heading military exercises, the other in a #church.. who’ll prevail? #ThisIsVzla pic.twitter.com/HJ69Cn7cxD
— stefano pozzebon (@StePozzebon) January 27, 2019
Neither officials in the Foreign Ministry nor the Prime Minister’s Office would confirm reports that the US pressured Israel into the move.Britain, Germany, France and Spain said over the weekend that they would recognize Guaido if Maduro failed to call fresh elections within eight days, an ultimatum Russia – which supports Maduro – said was “absurd,” and which the Venezuelan foreign minister dismissed as “childlike.”Washington, Canada most Latin American nations and many European countries have labeled Maduro’s second-term election win last May fraudulent.Maduro retains the loyalty of the armed forces, though Venezuela’s top military envoy to the US on Saturday defected to Guaido.Among the other countries which recognized Guaido as interim president are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, Panama and Peru. The countries supporting Maduro – in addition to Russia – include Iran, Turkey, Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico and Uruguay.Reuters contributed to this report.Appreciation and kudos to the Government of Israel for standing with the people of Venezuela and the forces of freedom and democracy.https://t.co/jUcq4ZfEEA
— David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael) January 27, 2019