Juan Gerardo Guaidó Márquez (Venezuelan Spanish pronunciation: [hwa? he'?a?ðo ?wai'ðo 'ma?kes] (listen); born 28 July 1983) is a Venezuelan politician, a member of the social-democratic Popular Will party, federal deputy to the National Assembly representing the state of Vargas, and currently serves as the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela since 5 January 2019.
On 23 January 2019, Guaidó and the National Assembly declared he was acting President of Venezuela, receiving formal recognition of legitimacy by almost 60 governments worldwide, and starting the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis by challenging Nicolás Maduro's presidency.
After the 2007 Venezuelan protests, Guaidó helped found the Popular Will party with Leopoldo López in 2009.
He was elected to be an alternate deputy in the National Assembly one year later in 2010 and in 2015, Guaidó was elected as a full-seat deputy.
Following a protocol to annually rotate the position of President of the National Assembly among political parties, Popular Will nominated Guaidó for the position.
Stating that the outcome of the 2018 Venezuelan presidential election was illegitimate and based on Article 233 of the Constitution of Venezuela, Guaidó declared he was acting President of Venezuela on 23 January 2019, subsequently receiving support from the United States, Canada and various Latin American and European countries; Russia, China, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Turkey supported Maduro.
In response, the Maduro administration, which maintains control of the main governmental and military institutions within Venezuela, prohibited Guaidó from leaving the country, froze his Venezuelan assets, launched a probe accusing Guaidó of foreign interference, and intimated threats of violence.Domestically, Guaidó's actions have included a proposed Plan País (a plan for the country), an amnesty law for military personnel and authorities who turn against the Maduro government, and attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to the country.
Regarding international affairs, his administration has received control of some Venezuelan assets and property in the United States, and has appointed diplomats recognized by supportive governments.