A slew of European nations this week joined the United States and other Western countries in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, heightening a global showdown over Nicolas Maduro's rule. Guaido says the May 2018 vote in which Maduro won a second term was a sham and on Jan. 23 invoked a constitutional provision to declare himself president, promising free and fair elections. The 35-year-old has since won the support of many western nations although powerful countries such as Russia, China and Turkey continue to back Maduro and denounce what they call foreign meddling in Venezuela's domestic affairs.
