The opposition contents the legitimacy of the election Maduro won in May, which is also not recognised by the US, the European Union and a large part of the international community. Guaido is moving to marshal international support to form a transitional government to hold new presidential elections, with a new vote supported by the Washington, Europe and much of Latin America.
But Maduro has rejected this, insisting his term ends in 2025. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave his support to Maduro over the telephone last week, urging him to "keep his head up". The senior American official, who requested anonymity, told journalists that "we believe strongly that the last remaining legitimate democratic institution is Guaido, who we've recognised as interim president."