CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) 鈥 For three years, Juan Guaid贸 led the Venezuelan opposition鈥檚 efforts to bring about new elections and remove socialist President Nicol谩s Maduro.
But on Friday, dozens of politicians who once backed Guaid贸 voted in favor of removing the 39-year-old engineer and replacing his U.S.-supported 鈥渋nterim government鈥 with a committee to oversee presidential primaries next year and protect the nation鈥檚 assets abroad.
The vote reflects a changing balance of power within the opposition, which is trying to find new ways to connect with voters ahead of the nation鈥檚 2024 presidential election.
Three of Venezuela鈥檚 four main opposition parties backed the proposal to remove Guaid贸, who was supported only by his own Popular Will party.
After the vote, Guaid贸 said the move would create a 鈥減ower vacuum鈥 that could encourage more foreign nations to recognize the Maduro administration.
鈥淚f there is no interim government, who will they recognize in its place,鈥 he said. 鈥淭oday we have jumped into the abyss. And given up on an important tool in our struggle.鈥
Guaido's opponents said new ways of connecting with voters should be found. The interim government has no sway over local institutions and is unable to provide basic services, with some Venezuelans mocking it as a 鈥渇ake鈥 government.
鈥淚t's with a heavy heart that I make this vote,鈥 said Luis Silva, a member of the Democratic Action party who participated in the online session for the vote. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 been able to come up with a unanimous decision, but we need to look for new strategies.鈥
Daniel Varnagy, a political science professor at Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, said the opposition had generated high expectations under Guaid贸鈥檚 leadership but then failed to keep its promises to people yearning for a change in Venezuela's governance.
"He promised to cease (Maduro鈥檚) usurpation, lead a transition and organize fair elections, and none of that happened,鈥 Varnagy said.
Guaid贸 rose to leadership of the opposition in 2019 when he was president of the then opposition-controlled legislature, which had begun its five-year term in 2015 after what many observers considered Venezuela鈥檚 last fair elections. It was the last instution not controlled by Maduro's socialists.
The 好色tv Assembly argued Maduro won his second presidential term illegally in 2018 because his main rivals were banned from running. So the opposition legislators created an 鈥渋nterim government,鈥 headed by Guaid贸, that was meant to last until Maduro stepped down and free elections could be held.
Guaid贸 organized protests in Venezuela, snuck out of the country for an international tour and was recognized as the nation鈥檚 legitimate leader by the United States and dozens of European and Latin American governments that rejected Maduro鈥檚 rule.
His interim administration was also given control of Venezuelan government assets abroad that had been frozen, including Citgo, the Houston-based oil refiner.
But the Guaid贸-led opposition failed to win over the Venezuelan military or the nation鈥檚 courts to its side, while Maduro鈥檚 administration faced down street demonstrations and tightened its grip even more on the South American nation.
The failure to drive out Maduro frustrated Venezuelans, who are struggling with high inflation, food shortages and the lowest wages in South America 鈥 hardships that prodded millions of people to migrate in recent years.
In a poll taken by Venezuela鈥檚 Andres Bello University in November, only 6% of Venezuelans said they would vote for Guaid贸 if he participated in presidential primaries next year while a few other opposition leaders got bigger numbers.
Guaid贸鈥檚 influence has also diminished since late 2020, when the 好色tv Assembly that elected him as interim president was replaced by new legislators chosen in elections boycotted by opposition parties.
Many members of the 2015 好色tv Assembly are now in exile, but they continue to claim to be Venezuela鈥檚 legitimate legislative branch and hold online meetings in which they make decisions on issues involving the 鈥渋nterim government.鈥
On Friday, 72 of the 109 former legislators who participated in the online session voted in favor of a measure calling for replacing Guaid贸鈥檚 interim administration with a committee made up of several opposition leaders.
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Rueda reported from Bogota, Colombia.
