Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says he cannot rule out the possibility of civil war as pressure mounts on him to stand down.
He also defiantly rejected the EU’s deadline yesterday to call snap elections. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself interim President last month and won US backing. He said he would build an international coalition to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuelans but Mr Maduro has accused him of organising a coup.
Sunday saw the expiry of an ultimatum set by European countries including France, the UK, Germany and Spain for Mr Maduro to call early presidential elections. They said that they would recognise Mr Guaidó as interim president if no such pledge was forthcoming.
On Monday, those countries and and several other European nations officially recognised Mr Guaidó as interim president.
