- Title: Guatemala president-elect says he was denied entry to Venezuela
- Date: 12th October 2019
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) OPPOSITION LEADER JUAN GUAIDO ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE GUAIDO ON STAGE AT NEWS CONFERENCE GUAIDO AT MICROPHONE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER, JUAN GUAIDO, SAYING: "We Venezuelans should thank (Guatemala) for this gesture, this noble gesture from the president-elect (Alejandro Giammatei), for his concern, for his visit and for his statement. He arrived in Maiquetia (airport), he arrived in Venezuela and from here we send our warm wishes to president Giammatei. I was able to communicate with him a few minutes ago. We hope to speak to the president when he arrives back from where he came from, to firstly check that he is physically well, we are concerned about mistreatment." VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS AT NEWS CONFERENCE GUAIDO DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER, JUAN GUAIDO, SAYING: "The agenda for talks with the Guatemalan president-elect concerned the solutions and problems facing Venezuela. As the world knows, our struggle to recover democracy in Venezuela, our freedom. The agenda of the talks will continue despite this absurd blockade from the regime (government of President Nicolas Maduro)." GUAIDO SUPPORTERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE GUAIDO DURING NEWS CONFERENCE GUAIDO LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE, WAIVING TO SUPPORTERS / GUAIDO WITH HIS WIFE, FABIANA ROSALES, AT NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 26th October 2019 17:36
- Keywords: Venezuela Caracas opposition leader Juan Guaido Guatemala president-elect Alejandro Giammattei President Nicolas Maduro
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0SKGG7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Guatemala's president-elect on Saturday (October 12) was denied entry to Venezuela, where he was scheduled to meet with opposition leader Juan Guaido, according to Venezuela's opposition.
Guaido said that Alejandro Giammattei, a conservative who won the Central American country's presidency in August, landed at the Simon Bolivar international airport near the capital Caracas, but his entry was impeded.
Guaido, who leads Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, was recognised as the country's rightful leader by dozens of other nations in January after invoking the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing President Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.
Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maduro, a socialist, calls Guaido a U.S.-backed puppet seeking to oust him in a coup.
Maduro has overseen an economic collapse in the once-prosperous OPEC nation, and is accused of corruption and human rights violations.
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