“Nicolás Maduro has hit back at the ‘cowardly’ and ‘disastrous’ decision of a succession of European countries to recognise his rival, Juan Guaidó, as interim president, as Venezuela enters what many observers believe could be a critical week in its fast-escalating political crisis.” From The Guardian: Maduro hits back at gringo plot to overthrow revolution. “We will never, ever hand over our country … The people will never surrender.”

+ One of Maduro’s key challenges is that the people may not be on his side. “He may be the heir to Hugo Chavez, champion and defender of the poor like them, but now if Maduro happens to be on television, the banging is especially loud. It seems a small signal of the forces closing in on him.” Bloomberg: Venezuela’s Poor Now Despise the Socialist Leader.