Maduro calls for 'anti-imperialist' rallies on March 9

By Lokman İlhan</p> <p>CARACAS (AA) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urged his supporters Tuesday to attend “anti-imperialist” rallies on March 9, the same day that anti-government marches will be held by the opposition. </p> <p>Speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the death of his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, Maduro said he would defeat a “crazed minority” planning to destabilize the country. </p> <p>“We'll do it for Chavez, for the great history of the country,” he said. </p> <p>It was Maduro’s first public speech since opposition leader Juan Guaido returned to the country Monday following visits to several Latin American countries.</p> <p>Despite being under a travel ban since Jan. 30, Guaido secretly left Venezuela for Colombia to help coordinate efforts there on Feb. 23 to force through convoys of U.S. aid into Venezuela.</p> <p>He paid visits to Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina after he proceeded to Colombia.</p> <p>“We are stronger than ever,” Guaido told crowds of supporters after touching down at Caracas airport. </p> <p>Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10, when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.</p> <p>Tensions escalated when Guaido, who heads Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself acting president on Jan. 23, a move which was supported by the U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.</p> <p>Turkey, Russia, Iran, Cuba, China and Bolivia reiterated their support for Maduro, who vowed to cut all diplomatic and political ties with the U.S. Maduro insists he is a victim of a U.S.-orchestrated coup amid a spiraling economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.</p> <p>U.S. President Donald Trump pointed to military intervention as among a number of options he could choose to help resolve the crisis.</p> <p>Venezuela is experiencing widespread shortages of food and medicine and has the highest inflation rate in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund.</p> <p>