Presence at the airport of Caracas foreign diplomats helped to prevent the arrest of the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, who declared himself the interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaido in the beginning of this week. This was told to journalists by German foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Events unfolded last Monday on Guaido’s return to Venezuela after a trip to several Latin American countries. First, Guaido visited Colombia, where is humanitarian aid to Venezuela, and then visited Brazil and Paraguay. Guido, being abroad, said that he and his family received threats, including threats of arrest.

According to Maas, he personally asked German Ambassador to Venezuela Daniel Kriner to join to ambassadors of other countries at the airport in Caracas on Monday. The head of the German foreign Ministry explained that “there was information that he [Guido] should have been arrested there”. “I think the presence of various ambassadors helped to prevent this arrest,” he added.

Last Wednesday, Venezuelan authorities announced that they give Kriner 48 hours to leave the country and declared him persona non grata. Venezuelan foreign Ministry explained the decision “interference in the internal Affairs of the country.”

Maas called the decision of the Venezuelan authorities to expel the German Ambassador “completely incomprehensible and unacceptable to us.” He stressed that Germany will continue to consider Guaido “the legitimate interim President of Venezuela and will support him during the elections.”

Germany along with the United States, several European and Latin American countries recognized Guaido, who declared himself the provisional President of Venezuela. The current President Nicolas Maduro called the events an attempt of a coup d’état, saying that the United States is behind it.