A/HRC/45/CRP.11 103. On 23 January 2019, the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, declared himself “interim president” until new fair elections for a new president could be held.184 Mr. Guaidó based his action on article 233 of the 1999 Constitution that states that the president of the National Assembly shall take charge of the presidency should a President become unable to serve. Towards this end, the National Assembly announced that it would select a new National Electoral Council so that democratic elections could be held. 185 104. During this period, a string of Government and military defections also took place. 186 On 21 January, members of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) posted videos on social media calling for a revolt against the President, leading to the arrest of 27 officials. 187 The National Assembly adopted measures aimed at gaining the support of members of the armed forces, including a 25 January amnesty bill.188 Hundreds of members of the military and armed forces defected over the next several months, many requesting refugee status in Colombia.189 105. This resulted in a renewed set of protests. Tensions exacerbated on 23 February 2019 when Juan Guaidó and other members of the National Assembly organized an attempt to bring food and health supplies through the border from Colombia and Brazil. 190 The protests continued throughout the next months, denouncing both the political situation and the social and economic crisis, including the series of countrywide blackouts in March 2019 that left millions without power.191 106. The opposition continued to encourage a military coup. On 30 April 2019, in what was referred to as “Operation Freedom”, Juan Guaidó attempted to launch a military-backed effort to oust President Maduro. Standing near the military base of La Carlota, in Caracas, he called for the armed forces to defect and for support from the population.192 Leopoldo López, under house arrest, was released during the operation. However, the attempt did not achieve widespread military support.193 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djhgFUegN8k. See also tweet of National Assembly president Juan Guaidó, available at: https://twitter.com/AsambleaVE/status/1087399318062014469. See YouTube Video, Milenio, Juan Guaidó se declara presidente ‘encargado’ de Venezuela, 23 January 2019, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi6CpHX1Qxo. El Pitazo, Guanipa: Mañana la AN designará al comité de postulaciones electorales para elegir un nuevo CNE, 4 February 2019, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP8VChARuFY. E.g., on 4 January, a Supreme Court justice, previously aligned with the Government, defected to the United States (Univisión Noticias, “Seguir siendo cómplice o rebelarme”: el dilema de un magistrado venezolano que por años defendió a, 15 January 2019, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKCVWLLN0To); Subsequently, Hugo Carvajal, former head of military intelligence in the country, broke ranks and announced his support for the opposition, denouncing corruption in Maduro’s Government. See video at New York Times, Venezuela’s Ex-Spy Chief Rejects Maduro, Accusing Leader’s Inner Circle of Corruption, 21 February 2019, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/world/americas/hugo-carvajal-maduro-venezuela.html. See tweet of Soldados de Franelas, available at: https://twitter.com/soldadoDfranela/status/1087291673447727104. Ley de Amnistía y garantías constitucionales para los militares y civiles que colaboren o hayan colaborado con la restitución del orden constitucional (not published in the Official Gazette), 25 January 2019. See Human Rights Watch, Venezuela: The Defection That Turned into Exile, 25 February 2019, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/05/08/venezuela-defection-turned-exile. See BBC, Crisis en Venezuela: tensa jornada de disturbios y enfrentamientos ante el intento de entrada de ayuda humanitaria, available at: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina47342448. See Venezuelan Observatory for Social Conflict, Conflictividad Social en Venezuela en 2019, available at: https://www.observatoriodeconflictos.org.ve/tendencias-de-laconflictividad/conflictividad-social-en-venezuela-en-2019. See tweet of Juan Guaidó, 30 April 2019, available at: https://twitter.com/leopoldolopez/status/1123161697425010689. See Washington Post, How a plot filled with intrigue and betrayal failed to oust Venezuela’s president, 4 May 2019, available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/how-aplot-filled-with-intrigue-and-betrayal-failed-to-oust-venezuelas-president/2019/05/03/4b46ca306db1-11e9-a66d-a82d3f3d96d5_story.html. 25