Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has declared himself the country’s interim president, winning support from Washington, prompting the beleaguered socialist Nicolas Maduro to sever diplomatic ties with the US.

Donald Trump was among the first leaders in the Americas to recognise Mr Guaido’s claim to the presidency, tweeting that the Venezuelan people “have suffered for too long at the hands of the illegitimate Maduro regime”.

The US president’s remarks were swiftly followed by similar statements from Canada and right-leaning Latin American governments, including Venezuela’s neighbours Brazil and Colombia.

The recognition came after Mr Guaido told a rally in the capital Caracas that Mr Maduro had usurped power, and he promised to create a transitional government that would help the country escape its hyperinflationary economic collapse.

“I swear to assume all the powers of the presidency to secure an end to the usurpation,” the 35-year-old told hundreds of thousands of exuberant supporters who had gathered in Caracas.

Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Show all 23 1 /23 Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures One of the many children that have left their homes in Venezuela and seek temporary accommodation on their journey south. In Bogotá, Columbia this Informal Tented Settlement close to the central bus station is now home to several hundred refugees Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures People leave Venezuela carrying their worldly possessions and enter Columbia filing past on the bridge at Cúcuta. At the height of the crisis this August up to 40,000 were crossing each day Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Katiuska Rodriguez, 30, left three children back in Venezuela and stands at traffic lights with her life story on a cardboard sign in Quito begging for donations Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Kevin Reynold, 11, walked and hitchhiked with his family for 21 days to reach Quito, Ecuador. They arrived penniless and exhausted. CARE Ecuador through there delivery partners ADRA Ecuador are able to offer shelter, food and psychosocial support Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Jesus Hidalgo, 21, walked 20 days through Columbia arriving hungry and exhausted. “The Columbian people were very kind to us he said.” Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Ruth Santos 52, arrives with her husband and their two children at a shelter in Quito operated by the ‘People for Venezuela’ group and supported by CARE Ecuador. When CAREs delivery partner ADRA Ecuador welcome her she breaks down with emotion Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Yolanda Mendez 27, from Puerto de la Cruz in Venezuela, left her husband and child to find work in Ecuador ahead of their arrival in the coming months. She is one of many mothers leaving their children behind with partners or relatives in order to support them Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Streams of people leave Venezuela reach the midway point on the bridge entering Columbia at Cúcuta. The first round of immigration checks to see if they had the Andean card or passport stamped. At the height of the crisis this August up to 40,000 were crossing each day Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Jesus Bolivar, 29, worked in Quito to support his family back home, he handed out Bolivares the defunct Venezuelan currency for free with purchases of lollipops “Take which ever note you want, its completely worthless”. Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Victoria 27, was tricked into prostitution. She has suffered gender based violence, rape and has been stabbed. Such is the vulnerability of so many Venezuelan women trying to find ways to work and send money home to their families. Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Hender Mendez Diaz, arrives with his wife and their two children at a shelter in Quito operated by the ‘People for Venezuela’ group and supported by CARE Ecuador. He worked for PDVSA the Venezuelan Oil company for 26 years and was dismissed for joining a demonstration with 20,000 fellow employees objecting to the restructuring plans. He received no pension and no medical support for him or his family Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Maria Isabella 7, stood at reception with her mother at the Foundation of Migrant Attention in Bogotá, Columbia. After resting at the shelter for five days, and with their worldly possessions in two plastic bags, their journey to Ecuador continues. Sister Teresina hands Maria Isabella, 7, a bear for her to take and she replied “Thank you sister, this bear is the only thing I have in the world, I will look after him” Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Streams of people leave Venezuela and enter Columbia filing past on the bridge at Cúcuta. At the height of the crisis this August up to 40,000 were crossing each day Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures David Santos 8, arrives with her family at a shelter in Quito operated by the ‘People for Venezuela’ group and supported by CARE Ecuador Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Gilberto Gomez 39, arrived at Rumichaca with his brother Pedro. They has managed to sell what possessions they could from their homes for a fraction of their value and purchase bus tickets to get them to Ecuador Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures John Hydro Fernandez 21, has not eaten properly for 3 years living in Venezuela. He now lives at an Informal Tented Settlement in Bogotá, Columbia, close to the central bus station which is now home to several hundred refugees. He has had fever for five days and does not have the money to see a doctor, he wept from the pain. Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Kare Angely 4, sits on top of her mothers suitcase huddled in a blanket to shield her from the freeing cold temperatures at Rumichaca border crossing on the Columbian side. Sofia her mother couldn’t stay in Venezuela any longer as there was no food for the children Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Venezuelan’s queued late into the night in Ecuador at Rumichaca on the border. The lucky few will have a seat on this bus destined for Huaqillias on the Peruvian border Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Richard Villaneuva, 18, walked and hitchhiked for 20 days through Columbia. He was one of a large exodus of single men leaving Venezuela alone rather than in groups as they felt they had more chance in being able to hitch a lift Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Venezuelan’s pass through Columbian migration at Rumichaca, they exit through metal barriers herding them through like cattle. The temperature drops to 5 degrees Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Jhoan Cedeno 24, walked and hitchhiked for 19 days through Columbia arriving hungry and exhausted. “I need to find a job to be able to send some money home for my father who is unwell, It is difficult to find work here.” Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures Bethzaz Roca 23, an architectural graduate, sits on a bench at Rumichaca in the last of the evening sun whilst waiting for a bus to take her to Quito. She hope to be able to use her degree to find a good job but has concerns about xenophobia living in Ecuador as a Venezuelan Refugee. Paddy Dowling Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: in pictures On the Columbian border of Arauca, where hostility hung in the air with the humidity. Prostitutes sit waiting for clients in one of the 15 brothels in the town. Girls are recruited into the industry as young as fourteen or fifteen years old. Paddy Dowling

Venezuela has experienced a series of food and medicine shortages, as well as widespread crime as the country’s economic woes have rendered the bolivar currency virtually worthless. Thousands of Venezuelans have fled to neighbouring countries to escape the economic crisis.

In response to Mr Guaido’s claims and the international response, Mr Maduro – who began a second term in office on 10 January following a widely boycotted election last year – accused the opposition of seeking to stage a coup with the support of the United States, which he said was seeking to govern Venezuela from Washington.

He also announced he was cutting diplomatic ties with the US and gave American diplomatic personnel 72 hours to leave the country.

(Statista) (Statista (https://www.statista.com/chartoftheday))

Speaking from the presidential palace to a crowd of red-shirted supporters, Mr Maduro said the US was making a “grave mistake”, and noted that countries including Guatemala, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina had all seen their leftist governments toppled during the Cold War with the help of American intervention.

“The imperial government of the United States is leading a coup attempt against us in order to install a puppet presidency that they can control in Venezuela,” Mr Maduro raged. “Before the people and nations of the world, and as constitutional president ... I have decided to break all political and diplomatic relations with the US. Get out! Leave Venezuela. We have (our) dignity dammit!”

Mr Guaido, meanwhile, has received praise from a host of western allies after vowing to hold legitimate elections “and to re-establish the constitution we need the agreement of all Venezuelans”.

The declaration takes Venezuela into uncharted territory, with the possibility of the opposition now running a parallel government recognised abroad as legitimate but without control over state functions.

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In a statement, Mr Trump described the national assembly as the “only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people” and warned Mr Maduro not to resort to violence.

“We continue to hold the illegitimate Maduro regime directly responsible for any threats it may pose to the safety of the Venezuelan people,” he said.

Asked if the US would consider a military option if Mr Maduro refused to cede power, he said: “We’re not considering anything but all options on the table. All options, always, all options are on the table.”

The violence that has gripped the country for months continued throughout the day, with four people reported dead following clashes between rival supporters and police. Tear gas was fired at demonstrators as hundreds of thousands gathered across the country as the events unfolded.

Mr Trump’s recognition of Mr Guaidó as acting president comes after vice president Mike Pence penned an opinion article expressing support for the opposition. Mr Pence wrote that the United States stands with the protesters standing up in opposition to Mr Maduro.

“Nicolas Maduro has no legitimate claim to power,” Mr Pence wrote in The Wall Street Journal. “Nicolás Maduro must go.”

But, Mr Maduro retained support from other countries in the western hemisphere, including from Bolivia’s leftist president, Evo Morales, who affirmed his alliance with the Maduro government on Wednesday and tweeted in solidarity against the United States’ attempts to meddle in the affairs of South American countries.

“Our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our brother Nicolas Maduro, in these decisive hours in which the claws of imperialism seek again to mortally wound the democracy and self-determination of the peoples of South American”, Mr Morales tweeted.