The Ambassador From a Government That Doesn't Exist Yet

In Washington, D.C., Juan Guaido and his representatives are feted as Venezuela’s only true leaders. But that’s far less of a reality in Caracas, where Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro remains entrenched in power. Guaido, who has rocketed from obscurity to renown in mere months, is now recognized as Venezuela’s interim president by more than 50 countries. It’s the culmination of a long, fitful effort by the country’s motley opposition many of whom are presently imprisoned, in hiding, or in exile to resist the authoritarian turn Maduro has taken since the death of his predecessor, the revolutionary socialist Hugo Chavez, in 2013.