UPDATE 2 – Venezuelan coup attempt draws mixed reactions

REVISES DECK, ADDS REMARKS FROM PRESIDENTS OF BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, CHILE AND PARAGUAY</p> <p>By Emre Aytekin, Sinan Dogan and Lokman Ilhan</p> <p>ANKARA/CARACAS /MADRID (AA) – A coup attempt Tuesday by U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido drew mixed reactions from world leaders.</p> <p>Cuba and Bolivia said they stand with the Venezuelan government against the plot led by Guaido, who declared himself the country’s &quot;interim president&quot; in January.</p> <p>&quot;We strongly reject this coup, which aims to plunge the country into violence,&quot; Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Twitter, adding his country condemns the initiative of armed groups “aimed at creating terror on the streets of Venezuela”.</p> <p>&quot;We are with the people of Venezuela,&quot; he added.</p> <p>Bolivian President Evo Morales also strongly condemned the coup attempt, noting it is &quot;serving foreign interests&quot;.</p> <p>&quot;We are with brother [Nicolas] Maduro and the friendly people of Venezuela,&quot; Morales wrote on Twitter, referring to the country’s president.</p> <p>Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa said the solution in Venezuela must be attained through peaceful means.</p> <p> &quot;We don't support any military coup,&quot; Celaa added.</p> <p>Russia’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement, in which it called on all sides to renounce the use of violence.</p> <p>“The radical opposition in Venezuela has again resorted to violent methods of confrontation,” it said.</p> <p>It stressed that it is important to avoid disorder and bloodshed.</p> <p>“The problems facing Venezuela should be resolved via a responsible negotiation process without preconditions.</p> <p>“Any actions should be taken exclusively within the confines of the law, in strict conformity with the Constitution and without destructive interference from outside the country,” it added.</p> <p>Colombian President Ivan Duque, meanwhile, backed the coup attempt.</p> <p>&quot;We call on the military and the people of Venezuela to be on the right side of history,&quot; he said, adding he &quot;rejects dictatorship and Maduro’s usurpation&quot;.</p> <p>Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also supported a &quot;democratic transition&quot; in Venezuela through the coup attempt.</p> <p> &quot;Brazil is closely following the situation in Venezuela and reaffirms its support for the democratic transition taking place in the neighboring country,&quot; he wrote on Twitter.</p> <p>Mauricio Macri, president of Argentina, also expressed his support for Guaido on Twitter, adding that &quot;we support more than ever democracy in Venezuela&quot;.</p> <p>&quot;We hope that this is the decisive moment to restore democracy,&quot; he added.</p> <p>Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera also reiterated his &quot;total support&quot; for Guaido.</p> <p>&quot;The Maduro dictatorship must end by peaceful force and within the constitution of the Venezuelan people. This will restore freedoms, democracy, human rights and progress in #Venezuela,&quot; Pinera said in a Twitter post.</p> <p>&quot;Brave people of Venezuela! Your time has come!&quot; said a Twitter post by Paraguay's President Mario Abdo Benitez, who has been supporting Guaido from the beginning.</p> <p>- 'Final phase of freedom operation starts'</p> <p>Earlier Tuesday, Guaido released a video on Twitter in which he could be seen alongside soldiers calling for an uprising to end the &quot;usurpation&quot; of Maduro.</p> <p>He stressed that this was the beginning of the final phase of “Operation Freedom” to oust Maduro.</p> <p>&quot;The National Armed Forces have made the right decision. They have the support of the Venezuelan people,&quot; he said.</p> <p>Guaido also called on the public to take to the streets to support the &quot;democratic forces&quot; and &quot;restore the country's freedom&quot;.</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.

*With contributions by Senhan Bolelli from Madrid, Zehra Nur Duz and Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara

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