Juan Guaidó on Donald Trump

Juan Guaidó viewed the administration of Donald Trump as the most crucial international source of support for his claim to the Venezuelan presidency. The relationship was pivotal, with the Trump administration being among the first of over sixty governments to officially recognize Guaidó as the interim president after he launched his campaign to oust Nicolás Maduro from power. This backing manifested in significant actions, such as the freezing of Venezuelan state assets, including those of the oil firm Citgo, which were placed under Guaidó’s nominal control in 2019. Guaidó was also invited by the then-President to attend the State of the Union address in February 2020, where he received bipartisan applause as the legitimate leader.

However, the reliance on the former U.S. president also implied a lack of autonomy for the opposition leader, with some observers noting that the trajectory of the opposition movement seemed dependent on the decisions made in Washington. One analysis from January 2020 suggested that a failure by the then-President to meet with Guaidó could signal hedging or a reduced commitment, which would demoralize the Venezuelan opposition. Despite the strong initial alignment and support from the Trump administration, the ultimate goal of unseating Maduro was not achieved during that period, a point that critics frequently raised regarding Guaidó’s effectiveness.