Venezuela’s opposition leader vows to return as momentum stalls

Venezuela’s opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, has toured South America for much of the past week. Defying a government-imposed travel ban, he met with the far-right president of Brazil and the center-left president of Ecuador, among others, to demonstrate the broad international support for his claim to be the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

Each day he spends out the country, though, he risks losing the unity of opposition parties, already reeling after President Nicolás Maduro last month reduced Mr. Guaidó’s promised “aid avalanche” at the border to a few flakes. Mr. Guaidó had vowed to re-enter Venezuela as those aid shipments broke through Mr. Maduro’s blockade. He has now set a deadline of this morning for his return.

Mr. Maduro has threatened to have him arrested.

Bigger picture: With Mr. Maduro firmly controlling the borders, and defections from his military so far a trickle, the opposition is realizing that the government’s rule appears to be more durable than Mr. Guaidó had painted it.