Juan Guaido declared himself president last week, winning the backing of US President Donald Trump and many Latin American nations.

INDIA - Government has thrown its weight behind Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, describing as irregular the decision by opposition leader Juan Guaido to declare himself an interim president.

Guaido declared himself president last week, winning the backing of US President Donald Trump and many Latin American nations.

This pushed Maduro to break relations with the US, ordering its ambassadors to leave the country.

International relations minister Lindiwe Sisulu says government’s position on Venezuela is clear.

"South Africa's position is that we recognise the duly-elected democratic president of Venezuela until such time as he steps down or there is an election. Anything else we find irregular and that is the position we will put across at the UN Security Council.

The US is pushing for a UN Security Council statement expressing full support for Juan Guaido’s National Assembly -saying it’s the country's "only democratically elected institution.

The council met today at the request of the US.