To my friends and followers from the US, or who would benefit from an analogy using the current US political climate as a comparison point to what's happening in Venezuela. Let me provide you with a hypothetical situation:

Imagine if Trump was elected in a process that seemed fraudulent, but there was nothing the Democrats could do to prove it, because the military, and the legislative and judicial branches were stacked with Republicans or Trump supporters.

Then, 2 years after those elections, the Democrats won the senate elections with a 2/3 majority (giving them power to change lots of things, such as removing indefinite re-elections, releasing political prisoners, etc).

However, between the time the elections were held and the moment the new senate would take power, Trump fired all Supreme Justices and appointed new ones, all allied to him of course.

When the new senate finally was sworn in, the new Justices decided to ban 3 candidates, saying there were inconsistencies with the voting results in their sectors. The investigation went on for years without finding anything, but the senators are still not in their seats.

This reduced the 2/3 majority power the senate held. The Justices also decided to veto every new law introduced by this new senate, essentially striping them of their power to legislate.

Two years after the senate elections, the Supreme Justices rule that the Senate has "gone rogue", since they are not passing any laws (*cough* because they're all being blocked *cough*). This leads Trump to call for a new election to pick a new Senate that rules over the old one.

Because the call was not seen as democratic or legal, the Democrats decide to boycott these elections, since running any candidates would just legitimize the claim that they are indeed legal.

The Republicans now have their own New Senate, with 503 out of 503 seats occupied by their party. This new senate then decides to call for new presidential elections, 9 months ahead of schedule, giving only a 2 month warning.

Trump, who has already imprisoned Hillary, Biden, and Bernie, proceeds to ban the Democratic party from running any candidates, but then urges the "opposition" to come and participate in these "free and fair elections".

Naturally, the Democrats stand their ground saying that since these elections were called by an illegitimate Senate, they are not going to run, and would not accept the results of these elections.

Trump runs alongside other candidates no one has heard much of until now, his biggest competition being a candidate who is known to have been a Republican a few years ago. Trump wins the re-election.

Almost a year after the elections (since they were held ahead of time), Trump is sworn in by his New Senate, not the old one, as President once again. The Democrats, maintaining that it's not a legitimate senate, nor a free election, say there is a void of power in the Executive.

By the US constitution, when there is a void of power, the leader of the Senate takes power temporarily, until a new Free and Fair election process can be organized (usually 6 to 12 months after taking power).

Trump, who still has support of the military, the Justices, and the Legislative, by means of the fake Senate, decides not to heed this call and stays in the White House. Many countries from around the world, including the EU, and most of Latin America, don't acknowledge him.

Some countries that do vouch for Trump still being president are Russia, China, and North Korea.

Upset at all this, the Democratic party gathers support from the military personnel who is also angry at the way Trump has been doing things, they free some of the political prisoners, and decide to march on the streets to ask Trump to step down peacefully.

Would you call this a coup? or a pressure mechanics to make Trump give up power and finally let the American people call for a new presidential election?

This is (roughly) what's happening in Venezuela right now, between Maduro and Guaido.

As a Venezuelan, I hate to see my country going through this, which is why we are asking for international help. I'm not asking for military intervention, but we do want international pressure.

And before you start with Ad Hominem attacks on me:

1- Yes, I am light-skinned. I was still born and raised in Venezuela, a country with beautiful people and a gorgeous array of skin colors.
2- Yes, I speak English, most of us had classes since 1st grade, even in public schools.

3- Yes, I am no longer living in Venezuela. Over the past 2-3 years I've been in Venezuela, the US, Mexico, Spain, and now the UK. I have had to abandon my country to find a better life for myself and my wife (also Venezuelan) just like most of my friends and family.

All these things don't make me less Venezuelan, and I have lived the Chavez government since I was 7 years old, so even if you don't agree with me, at least take my experience and what I've shared with some respect and try to understand it. Thank you for reading!