Juan Guaidó Takes His Appeal to Venezuelans in Florida

A year ago, when Venezuela’s government seemed to be on the brink of collapse, the Venezuelan diaspora in South Florida buzzed with energy, holding rallies and hosting prominent political leaders, including Vice President Mike Pence, who embraced their cause of ousting the nation’s leftist president, Nicolás Maduro...

So when Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader who has declared himself Venezuela’s interim president, appeared on Saturday in Miami, his supporters hoped to revive public interest in his efforts—and to perhaps once again attract the attention of President Trump...

Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas think tank in Washington, said Mr. Guaidó’s trip would have been successful if it brought new hope to discouraged Venezuelans who in recent months had slowed their protests.

“The U.S. can put more sanctions and all of that, but at the end of the day, it’s going to have to be Venezuelans themselves who turn the tide,” he said. Opposition leaders, he added, are “still looking for a way to recapture the ability to set the agenda.”

“They’ve got to force the Maduro regime to react to them, instead of vice versa,” Mr. Farnsworth said...

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