Juan Guaido defies arrest to stage dramatic return to Caracas

They were certain he would come. Wrapped in the Venezuelan flag, chanting and dancing to the music floating out from the stage, the thousands of supporters who spilled outwards from Caracas’s Plaza Alfredo Sadel had no doubt that Juan Guaidó would soon appear among them. “It may be a long wait,” an announcer shouted, to cheers. “But we will be waiting here, for our president!” In the end, they did not have to wait long at all. Less than 90 minutes into the rally, the word came via Twitter. “Already in our beloved country!” Mr Guaidó posted. “Venezuela, we have just passed immigration and we are heading to where our people are!” Even to the faithful, the ease with which the self-declared president had entered Venezuelan territory had a sense of the miraculous. Having violated a travel ban when he left the country to lead the attempted entry of aid from Colombia, Mr Guaidó faced the threat of almost certain arrest by Nicolas Maduro's forces on his return. Jan Guaido greets his supporters outside Simon Bolivar International airport Credit: Fernando Llano/AP Speculation had been rife as to how he would slip in - perhaps smuggled over a remote border in the boot of a car, or even through one of the notorious trenches used by coyotes and desperate refugees. In the end, he took a commercial flight from Panama into Caracas's military-controlled Maiquetia airport, had his passport stamped, and walked out unchallenged to an arrivals hall erupting into cries of "Yes we can!" Speaking to the jubilant crowds in Caracas, Mr Guaidó seized on his smooth passage back to the capital as evidence that the chain of command was now broken.  Mr Guaido claimed airport officials greeted him with the words 'welcome, President'  Credit: Donaldo Barros/AFP "Why do you think we are here today?" he said, claiming that when he had arrived at immigration "all of the officials said 'welcome, President'." Stern warnings from the US and others of consequences for Mr Maduro's government may also have had an effect. So too may have the presence at Maiquetia airport of 13 ambassadors, including those of France, Spain, the United States, Brazil, Chile and Canada.  But, despite Mr Maduro's insistence on Sunday night that the world would be witness to "a Venezuela that confronts imperialist aggression", his forces were notably absent from the Caracas rally. Nowhere to be seen were the riot police, armoured vehicles or feared "collectivos" that are a constant presence at opposition protests; a lone military helicopter passing once over the crowd the only reminder of the current occupant of Miraflores Palace.  Mr Guaido was met by a crowd of supporters as well as ambassadors representing 13 countries Credit: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters Standing in front of a presidential shield, Mr Guaidó insisted that Mr Maduro's exit from that office was now unstoppable. "Despite the persecution and the threats, we made it," he said. "We are not going to fail." The next steps, however, are not entirely clear. Mr Guaidó announced meetings with unions for Tuesday and another protest on Saturday. Some of his followers spoke enthusiastically of the prospect of foreign intervention; others hoped for a peaceful transition, perhaps through fresh elections. Francisco Perez, a 60-year-old lawyer, told The Telegraph the process could be "slow and complicated". But, he said, since January 23 - the day Mr Guaidó swore himself in as interim president - "I have had no doubt that this is done".