Air force General defects as rallies begin in Venezuela

Tens of thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Caracas Saturday in rival displays for and against embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as an air force general became the highest-ranking officer to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the crisis-torn country’s acting president. The rival rallies, convened in different parts of the city, come on the eve of a deadline set by the EU and other European powers for Maduro to call “free elections” or have them recognize Guaido.

Guaido has promised a huge turnout -- the largest in the country’s history, he has said -- to reinforce his call for elections organized by a transitional government he claims to lead as head of the National Assembly. Carrying Venezuelan flags and blowing horns and whistles, his supporters began massing at five locations around the city for a march on EU headquarters in eastern Caracas.

The pro-Maduro forces were rallying in the western side of the city to mark the 20th anniversary of the rise of power of the late Hugo Chavez, the leftist firebrand who installed a socialist government. Hundreds of members of a civilian militia, public workers and people who have benefitted from the government’s social programs began to concentrate in the downtown Avenida Bolivar in a show of support for their beleaguered leader. Although the rally was called by Maduro, it was not known if he would attend.