Venezuela: The Homecoming Showdown

Juan Guaidó, the Venezuelan opposition leader whom most Western countries now recognize as president, says he's coming home.

Last week he defied a court order by crossing into Colombia to lead an ultimately failed attempt to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela. Yesterday, he flew from Bogotá to Brasilia to see Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro.

But his imminent return to Venezuela sets up the next big showdown with President Nicolas Maduro, who still controls the government and armed forces. The stakes are high for both men.

Guaidó knows that once he's in Venezuela he could be arrested. And he also knows that after the aid failed to reach his followers, he'll have to show them he still has good ideas than can ease Venezuela's suffering and end the political crisis.

Maduro, for his part, knows that imprisoning Guaidó or refusing him entry into Venezuela could provoke the opposition as well as Guaidó's foreign supporters.

Either way, we're keeping a close eye on the arrivals hall at Simón Bolívar International Airport.

Historical Perspective: When Caracas shook

We close this whirlwind week with some relevant Venezuelan history.

This week marks thirty years since the so-called Caracazo (pictured above) an outburst of violent protests and repression that rocked the Venezuelan capital after a cash-strapped government tried to impose unpopular economic reforms on a frustrated public. In the anger and bitter polarization that followed, a charismatic young army officer named Hugo Chávez saw an opportunity to turn popular anger into a political force. Ten years later, he would be president.

As a Spanish-speaking Shakespeare might say: "La rueda ha dado la vuelta…"

More from GZERO Media

Japanese Prime Minister and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Shigeru Ishiba is surrounded by security policemen as he meets with his supporters after he delivered a campaign speech for his party's candidate Masaaki Waki for the Upper House election in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo, Japan, on July 18, 2025.
Yoshio Tsunoda/AFLO

Less than a year after losing its majority in the lower chamber, the Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition government faces another test during the Upper House elections this Sunday.

Members of Syrian security forces ride on a back of a truck after Syrian troops entered the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, Syria July 15, 2025.
REUTERS

Deadly sectarian violence in Syria escalates, leaving over 350 dead. Tensions between Sunni Arabs, Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and Christians threaten post-war stability.

The number of people newly eligible to vote in the next election because of the decision to lower the voting age to 16.
Riley Callanan

In a move meant in part to boost sagging voter turnout, the UK government has lowered the voting age from 18 to 16 for the next round of national elections.

For many of us, the idea of a space-based arm of the military calls to mind images from science fiction. But the real-life world of space defense has become increasingly integral to military operations on land, at sea, and in the air. In this episode of Next Giant Leap, hosts Mike Massimino and Mike Greenley explore the world of space military technology. Guests Major General (Ret.) Kim Crider formerly of the United States Space Force, and Brigadier-General Chris Horner of the Canadian Space Division walk us through the many innovations in this fascinating arena, and attempt to answer one crucial question: how do you secure a domain with no borders?