US, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina gave backing to Guaido’s self-proclamation as Venezuela’s acting president

The United States, Canada and major South American nations recognised the head of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled legislature, Juan Guaido, as the country’s interim leader on Wednesday, leaving President Nicolas Maduro increasingly isolated.

Major regional players Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina all gave their backing to Guaido’s self-proclamation as Venezuela’s acting president, which he made in front of crowd of tens of thousands of supporters in Caracas.

Mexico, however, stood apart, saying it recognises “the authorities elected in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution,” seen as a lukewarm nod to Maduro. Separately, Mexico and Uruguay urged all internal and external parties involved in the crisis to defuse tensions and prevent an escalation of violence. Cuba, meanwhile, expressed its “firm support” for Maduro after what it called a “coup attempt”, while Bolivia’s leftist President Evo Morales affirmed his long-standing alliance with the Venezuelan president.

But the avalanche of support for Guaido dramatically raised the stakes in Venezuela, an oil-rich nation has become deeply impoverished under Maduro.

Maduro has clung to power through the support of the Venezuelan military, and he is an ally of Russia, which last month sent two nuclear-capable bombers to the country to participate in a military drill.

The US said on Wednesday that it stood ready to use “all options” if Maduro tried to quash the opposition, in what was an implied threat of military force.