CARACAS, May 4 (Xinhua) -- This year, political unrest has been haunting Venezuela as opposition leader Juan Guaido and President Nicolas Maduro vie for power.
The international community, including the United Nations, calls on restraint and dialogue to solve the problem.
Some major countries have different positions on Venezuela, with the United States and its allies such as Israel backing Guaido, while Russia, Cuba and other countries in support of Maduro.
The following are a string of major events related to the political crisis in Venezuela:
-- On Jan. 23, Guaido, president of Venezuela's National Assembly, proclaimed himself "interim president" of the country.
-- On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States had recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the nation's "interim president." Thereafter, Maduro announced he was severing "diplomatic and political" ties with the United States
-- On Jan. 28, The United States slapped sanctions on a Venezuelan oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., or known as PDVSA, to pile up pressure on Maduro to cede power to the opposition.
-- In March, Venezuela suffered two rounds of widespread blackouts after the country's main Guri hydroelectric plant was sabotaged, followed by schools and offices shutdown.
Guaido was under investigation for his alleged involvement in the sabotage against the national electricity system.
-- On April 6, supporters of Maduro and Guaido respectively held rallies nationwide, as rifts in Venezuela stayed wide open.
In the northwestern city of Maracaibo, two opposition politicians were temporarily arrested and some demonstrators were injured in clashes with the police, local media reported.
-- On April 30, Guaido called on civilians and military to act against the government and urged Maduro to step down.
He also tweeted that "the end of the usurpation began, and at this moment I am meeting with the main military units of our armed forces, beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom."
Maduro said via twitter that military commanders from all regions and defense areas of the country have "expressed their loyalty to the people, the Constitution and the country."
