State News

Venezuelan Consul In Miami Recognizes Guaidó As Interim President of Venezuela

WLRN Public Media | By Tim Padgett,

Published January 28, 2019 at 12:46 PM EST

Screenshot from the video allegedly recorded by First Consul Scarlet Salazar In Miami.

One of the four diplomats working at the Venezuelan Consulate in Miami issued a video recognizing National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela.

First Consul Scarlet Salazar said in a video circulated by the Miami-based channel EVTV that she has taken the decision to recognize Guaidó's authority "obeying my principles and democratic values."

"Always at the service of my beloved country, I'll continue to provide consular services in Miami," says Salazar, who also called for other Venezuelan diplomats to "stick with Constitution and the amnesty law decreed by the National Assembly."

#28Ene Scarlet Salazar, cónsul de Venezuela en #Miami, se pronunció a favor del presidente de Venezuela, Juan Guaidó. "Apegándome a la Constitución Nacional y las leyes venezolanas, declaro que reconozco como presidente encargado al ciudadano Juan Guaidó" / Video @EVTVMiami pic.twitter.com/HSwLj9Dzmk— CaraotaDigital (@CaraotaDigital) January 28, 2019

"This is our country's moment. Let's support the Venezuelans," says the diplomat in the video.

Last week Guaidó declared himself Venezuela's legitimate president, claiming that authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro's re-election last year was unconstitutional. Most Venezuelan legal experts agree with Guaidó - as do the U.S. and a host of other countries in Latin America and around the world.

Salazar is one of the four members of the Venezuelan Consulate in Miami, according to the website of the Venezuela Minister of Foreign Relations. The head of the mission is Jessica María López; Ana Gómez is also identified as a Consul and Humberto López is an attaché.

The Venezuelan Consulate in Miami was closed on Monday. Outside the offices was taped a copy of the general amnesty approved by the National Assembly.

By Monday at noon, the offices of the Venezuelan Consulate in Miami were closed. Efforts to reach Salazar and other members of the Venezuelan delegation in South Florida were not answered.

Outside the office of the Consulate in Brickell were taped the four pages of the amnesty law decreed by the National Assembly.

On Saturday, Colonel José Luis Silva, the military attaché at Venezuela's embassy in Washington D.C., told El Nuevo Herald he too recognizes Guaidó as president - and urged other military officers to follow suit.