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Opposition Backers in Venezuela Ask What's Next for Guaidó

By Scott Smith

"If the expectations are raised but not met, then you have a real problem," said AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth to Associated Press about Juan Guaidó's White House meeting.

Few places in Venezuela have a higher concentration of backers for opposition leader Juan Guaidó than the campus of the Central University of Venezuela, a hotbed of anti-government sentiment at the heart of the crisis-torn nation’s capital, Caracas.

Students say their expectations have soared in recent days since U.S. President Donald Trump showered Guaidó with attention on a stop in Washington. Still, they’re left with questions about what comes next for the challenger following a tour of nations that back his effort to oust socialist leader Nicolás Maduro...

Guaidó’s visit to Washington revived hopes among supporters. He was a surprise guest at Trump’s annual State of the Union address, where Trump recognized Guaidó as the only “legitimate president of Venezuela” and said that Maduro’s hold on power “will be smashed and broken.”

Trump followed that with a 45-minute meeting with Guaidó.

Eric Farnsworth, Washington D.C.-based vice president of the Americas Society think tank, said from a public perspective, Guaidó may have even exceeded expectations by scoring a coveted White House meeting, though that poses risks.

“You’re raising expectations again,” Farnsworth said. “If the expectations are raised but not met, then you have a real problem.”...

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