Retired general Hugo Carvajal—the head of Venezuela's military intelligence for ten years during Hugo Chávez's presidency, who served as a National Assembly deputy for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and was considered a pro-Maduro legislator,[8] "one of the government's most prominent figures"—said that Maduro orders the so-called "spontaneous protests" in his favor abroad, and his partners finance them.

People in the local area continued the fight, protesting and burning things in the street even as tear gas was deployed.

[20] According to Venezuelan journalist Francisco Toro for The Washington Post, protests broke out in working-class Caracas neighbourhoods on January 22, which until then had supported Maduro.

[20][22] Other protests happened in the large Bolívar state, where three people were killed[23] and a statue of Hugo Chávez set alight and broken in half before the head and torso were hung like a trophy from a public bridge.

[24][25] Announced at the 11 January open cabildo, a series of protest marches drawing crowds which were reported by The Economist, The Wall Street Journal editorial board, and Yeshiva World News from hundreds of thousands to millions of Venezuelans,[26][27][28] 23 January protests – on the anniversary of the 1958 Venezuelan coup d'état that overthrew dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez – were the flagship event hoping to force Maduro to step down.

[25] Another area of the capital was blocked off at Plaza Venezuela, a large main square, with armored vehicles and riot police on hand before protesters arrived.

[5] During the evening hours, President of the Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello called on Maduro supporters to hold a vigil surrounding Miraflores Palace, though no one attended the event.

[34] The Redes Foundation denounced in the Colombian Public Ministry that armed groups made up of National Liberation Army members and FARC dissidents, supported by the Bolivarian National Police and FAES officials, killed two Venezuelans, Eduardo José Marrero and Luigi Ángel Guerrero, during a protest in the frontier city of San Cristóbal, on Táchira state.

[36][37] The theme of the protests was to demand the entry of humanitarian aid into Venezuela,[38] with hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans participating to show support for Guaidó.

[39] According to La Patilla, which provided satellite images, Maduro supporters participated in smaller counter-demonstrations on the same day at the same time.

The rally headed by Guaidó, took place near the presidential palace in Miraflores; The Washington Post labeled the manifestation as "unusual" as it was held in a sector usually associated with Maduro supporters.

[41] Guaidó announced on 16 March that he would embark on a tour of the country to organize committees for what he called "Operation Freedom" (Spanish: Operación Libertad) with the goal to claim the presidential residence, Miraflores Palace.

[50] Tens of thousands of Venezuelans denounced the lack of electricity and protested against Maduro's presidency, who they hold responsible for the economic crisis.

[51] In Maracaibo, the second largest city of Venezuela, protests were dispersed by police forces with tear gas and rubber bullets.

[63] CNN reported that the "uprising faltered, having apparently failed to gain the support of senior members of the Venezuelan military".

[71] The Supreme Tribunal of Justice issued an arrest warrant for López on 2 May, who exited the gates of the Spanish Embassy, to speak with reporters, saying that Maduro's days are numbered.

The opposition leader later acknowledged that this march (including previous protests) did not have a sufficient outcome, and that he had "overestimated military support".

[77][78] During the rally, Guaidó asked his ambassador appointed to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, to start a dialog with the US Southern Command.

[81] Mostly denouncing the human rights abuses carried out by Maduro administration, including extrajudicial killings, political arrests and detained journalists.

[83] Protesters invited Bachelet to visit Maracaibo, a city that has collapsed under constant blackouts, fuel shortages and problems with security and health services.

[84][85] Guaidó called for nationwide protests to challenge Maduro's military parade on the Fifth of July, the independence day of Venezuela.

A few thousands joined the rally in Caracas and marched to the DGCIM headquarters where days later a navy captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo was tortured to death.

[86][87] The president of the 2017 Constituent National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, held a rally in Caracas in opposition to the OCHR report.

[1] In a December poll by Venezuelan pollster Meganalisis, those surveyed were asked if they would go to the streets if Guaidó or the National Assembly called for protests.

[93] During the presidential crisis, the United States government ended diplomatic relations with the Nicolás Maduro administration and recognized Juan Guaidó as the acting president of Venezuela.

[96] At the end of July 2019, some members of Code Pink that occupied the embassy visited Venezuela during the Foro de São Paulo.

Maduro posed for pictures with the group and rewarded them with gifts, including a book on Simón Bolívar and a replica of Bolivar's sword.