Mass protests against the Venezuelan government erupted Tuesday after U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido called on the population to take to the streets against President Nicolas Maduro.
Guaido's call, which was backed by President Donald Trump's administration, sparked clashes between thousands of protesters and forces supporting Maduro.
The Washington Post, citing a Caracas Metropolitan Clinic official, reported that six people were being treated for injuries sustained by tear gas and rubber bullets. News outlets showed video of an armored vehicle ramming a crowd of pro-Guaido demonstrators in the capital city of Caracas.
In an early-morning video, Guaido, standing at an air base in Caracas in front of armed men in military garb, called on soldiers and civilians to oust Maduro, "based on the nonviolent struggle that we have done at all times."
In January, Trump officially recognized Guaido as the legitimate interim president of oil-rich Venezuela, and vowed to "hold the illegitimate Maduro regime directly responsible for any threats it may pose to the safety of the Venezuelan people."
Senior Trump administration officials voiced support for Guaido's "Operation Liberty" on Tuesday.
"We are with you!" Vice President Mike Pence tweeted.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo endorsed Guaido's call to move ahead with the plan to oust Maduro, saying in a tweet that the U.S. "fully supports the Venezuelan people in their quest for freedom and democracy."
National security advisor John Bolton shared Guaido's video on his Twitter account, adding: "Venezuela's armed forces should stand loyal to their people and the constitution. Democracy will be restored in Venezuela."
Maduro, a leftist, has refused to give up his hold on power. In a tweet Tuesday morning, he vowed to "overcome" the attempted uprising and claimed he had the support of military commanders who "have shown me their total loyalty to the People, to the Constitution and to the Homeland."
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