Guaido aide arrested in Venezuela as regime defies

Defying US warnings, President Nicolas Maduro's regime on Thursday arrested a top aide of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who Washington recognizes as Venezuela's interim leader.

Guaido and the opposition-ruled National Assembly denounced the arrest of Roberto Marrero, charging on Twitter that he was taken from his home during a pre-dawn raid by intelligence officers.

The United States has repeatedly warned Venezuelan Maduro against arresting Guaido or his aides.

The United States and a grouping of Latin American nations plus Canada vigorously condemned the arrest and demanded Marrero's release.

"They have grabbed Roberto Marrero, my chief of staff. He yelled out that they planted two rifles and a grenade" as a pretext for the arrest, Guaido tweeted. "The raid happened at around 2:00 am (0600 GMT). We don't know his whereabouts.

He must be released immediately." He later told a news conference that "we won't be intimidated" by the "vile, vulgar kidnapping." Maduro and Guaido both claim to be Venezuela's legitimate leaders but Maduro, 56, retains the loyalty of the military brass and has control of state apparatus.

Guaido, 35, declared himself interim president on January 23 and has the backing of the US and more than 50 other countries, mostly in Latin America and the US.

"The United States condemns raids by Maduro's security services and detention of Roberto Marrero, Chief of Staff to Interim President @jguaido. We call for his immediate release. We will hold accountable those involved," Pompeo said on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump has said, as recently as Tuesday, that "all options" remain on the table in his drive to bring down Maduro, implying military action if he deemed it necessary.

So far, however, the power struggle in Venezuela has bogged down in an impasse, with Maduro railing daily about the US "imperialists" trying to dislodge him and Guaido touring the country to rally supporters and pledging he'll be taking over "very soon."