Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has rejected demands by European countries to call elections within eight days, insisting his homeland is 'not tied' to them.
European powers, including France and Germany, warned they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as president unless Maduro calls the elections.
But in an interview to CNN Turk, broadcast on Sunday, Maduro insisted that 'no one can give us an ultimatum'.
Maduro's foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, had already rejected the deadline during an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido kisses his wife Fabiana Rosales as they attend a holy mass in Venezuela
European powers, including France and Germany, warned they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as president unless Maduro calls the elections
It comes as Venezuela's top military representative to the US has been slammed as a traitor after he declared that he now recognises Guaido as the president, abandoning Maduro's government.
Colonel Jose Luis Silva's defection is significant as Maduro, who has accused Guaido of a coup, retains the support of the country's security forces.
The latest development comes as European powers signaled they were ready to follow the United States in recognizing National Assembly President Guaido as Venezuela's rightful leader.
Colonel Jose Luis Silva, Venezuela's military attache in the United States, has declared his support for Juan Guaido after defecting from Nicolas Maduro's government
Guaidó declared himself 'acting president' on Wednesday, gaining the backing of several countries with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launching a fiery speech at the United Nations on Saturday, slamming Venezuela's dictatorial regime under Maduro as an 'illegitimate mafia state'.
Col Silva's intervention is a blow to Maduro, with the armed forces seen as crucial in the current struggle.
Venezuela's defence ministry said Col Silva was guilty of treason, and tweeted photos of him with the word 'traitor' plastered over them.
Guaido recently asked the army to 'put themselves on the side of the Venezuelan people'.
In a video filmed at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, Col Silva said: 'The armed forces have a fundamental role in the restoration of the democracy in our country. Please, brothers, do not attack our people.'
In response to news of his defection, Venezuela's defence ministry said Col Silva was guilty of treason, and tweeted photos of him with the word 'traitor' on them
He also urged his 'brothers in the armed forces of the nation to recognise President Juan Guaido as the only legitimate president'.
Guaido celebrated Silva's decision to defect.
'We welcome him and everyone who with honesty want to follow the constitution and the will of the Venezuelan people,' he said on social media after attending a small assembly in Caracas to discuss the opposition's next moves.
Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for US National Security Council, encouraged others to follow Silva's lead 'to protect constitutional order, not to sustain dictators and repress its own people.'
Despite the pressure Maduro is under, he has so far retained the support of the country's military
Opposition leader Juan Guaido is supported by the US, Canada and other countries as the rightful leader of Venezuela
Venezuela's top commanders have pledged loyalty to Maduro's government in the days since Guaido declared himself interim leader on grounds that Maduro's re-election last year was fraudulent - an allegation supported by the US, the European Union and many Latin American nations.
But support for Maduro's rule is weaker among the military's rank and file, whose households are suffering from widespread food shortages and hyperinflation like their civilian counterparts.
Last week, a small National Guard unit stole a stockpile of weapons in what it said was an attempt to oust Maduro. The uprising was quelled and 25 guardsmen arrested.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the United Nations Security Council members to pick a side to support in Venezuela's leadership struggle Saturday
'No more delays, no more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem,' Pompeo said at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Saturday
The standoff has plunged troubled Venezuela into a new chapter of political turmoil that rights groups say has already left more than two dozen dead as thousands take to the street demanding Maduro step down.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the U.N. Security Council during a meeting on Saturday to 'pick a side' on Venezuela and urged countries to financially disconnect from Maduro's government.
'We're here to urge all nations to support the democratic aspirations of Venezuelan people as they try to free themselves from former President Maduro's illegitimate mafia state,' Pompeo said in his address.
Venezuela also defused a potential showdown with the United States, suspending a demand that US diplomats leave the country.
Maduro had given U.S. diplomats three days to leave the country, but the Trump administration said it wouldn't obey, arguing that Maduro is no longer Venezuela's legitimate president.
That set the stage for a showdown at the hilltop U.S. Embassy compound Saturday night, when the deadline was to expire.
Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Arreaza pictured reacting to Pompeo's fiery speech where he dismissed Maduro's regime as an 'illegitimate mafia state'
But as the sun set on Venezuela's capital, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Maduro's government was suspending the expulsion to provide a 30-day window for negotiating with U.S. officials about setting up a 'U.S. interests office' in Venezuela and a similar Venezuelan office in the United States.
The State Department did not confirm the Venezuelan government's account, reiterating only that its priority remains the safety of its personnel and that it has no plans to close the embassy.
Earlier on Saturday, Pompeo told the U.N. Security Council: 'Let me be 100 percent clear - President Trump and I fully expect that our diplomats will continue to receive protections provided under the Vienna Convention. Do not test the United States on our resolve to protect our people.'
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https://hienalouca.com/2019/01/27/venezuelas-top-military-representative-to-the-us-slammed-as-traitor-after-abandoning-maduro/
Main photo article Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has rejected demands by European countries to call elections within eight days, insisting his homeland is ‘not tied’ to them.
European powers, including France and Germany, warned they would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as president unless...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
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