Venezuela's military backs Maduro, as standoff hardens with US

Venezuela's powerful military threw its weight behind President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday as the US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido pressed a direct challenge to his authority, and the fate of the crisis-wracked country hung in the balance. Maduro's reelection last year was contested by the opposition, and criticized internationally -- but the socialist leader has until now retained the loyalty of the powerful military, whose response was being keenly watched.

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