this is. from berlin tonight violence in venezuela military vehicles plowing into protesters who controls the army who controls the country in a v.w. news exclusive self declared president one says the army and the people support his bid to al's embattled president nicolas maduro national guard defectors are joining the protesters and the u.s. says it backs the uprising it was that political lines are being drawn in russia

and china backed president. maintains that no army chiefs have turned against him but on the streets images of an army against the people of government standing by its claim that what we are witnessing is an attempt into being defeated p.w. news starts right now. i'm off to our viewers on p.b.s. in the united states and all around the world welcome but we begin tonight in venezuela where violent clashes continue on the streets of the capital caracas it all erupted earlier today after of its wireless opposition leader and self declared president one urged the army to help him topple nicolas maduro now this footage shows an armored government vehicle plowing headlong into

a crowd of demonstrators outside a military base in the city. protesters were answering why does call to take to the streets to alst president maduro white have said earlier that he's secured the backing of military leaders but his veiled to stop what he is calling a military coup saying he has the total loyalty of his military commanders. well in our interview with one b. you asked him how he justifies his call for an uprising against the government of venezuela. it's clear that they are the ones who if you snipped government powers they have carried on a continuous coup since two thousand and eighteen they have disregarded the rule of law they have discarded the constitution they failed to hold free and fair elections and they seized power today the armed forces have taken an important step

by siding with the people our process and we've said this is peaceful a nonviolent and we are not going to change that the ones who have caused violence through the armed paramilitary forces they call collectives not the regime and we'll maintain a nonviolent stance as demonstrated by the venezuelan people when they took to the streets to protest but it's what i got and that was one of the speaking with this earlier this evening over more on the situation i'm joined by our latin america correspondent javier are great as he is monitoring events for us from bogota colombia good evening to you we know we've heard one quite urging that it's whaling troops to unite against from where you are it's a night is it possible to say how much support within the military really have. well branch that is the most pressing question it has been ever since one widow declared himself interim president of

venezuela and the question remains unanswered really in general terms we could say that the lower ranking officials of the military tends to support one way or of course because they are the ones who have to deal with the consequences of a failed economy with power outages with food shortages also in their families whereas the higher ranking officials tend to side with equal as modal because they are very closely connected to the president and have access to resources that the other members of the military do not have and that is why what we've seen and what makes this protest different from the ones we've seen before perhaps is the call by one way though to ask people to claim and to go to the military and ask them to support that is the urge that we're seeing today to have the military support vital will it be enough that is the question but it is very difficult as long as the military elite sides with the colossal we're getting one conflicting reports this evening. we're hearing from the u.s.

envoy saying that top one is where the officials have negotiated to help restore order in the country meaning that the opposition and mature government officials have been working together negotiating together that's the first we've heard the bad what about the wyatts that we've been seeing the ball is on the streets does that look to continue into the evening. well it's very very likely that it will continue towards the evening because as long as one widow keeps calling his people to actually go on the streets and to demand the military forces to side with him we will probably continue to see venezuelans on the streets and let's not forget brant that we have seen protests just like these many many times before in recent years and been as well i could dare to say that the reaction. by the government has even been a little bit more moderate than in other years where we would see hundreds of deaths in

a day like this and that is ultimately because nicole as an adult knows that the international pressure has mounted that is one of the bigger chief of one who knows that the world is watching venezuela and will take a very very great care in following up with the consequences if he doesn't a little suppresses these protests very violently and we do know we've we've got events happening every every minute now we're getting reports that the villages where the opposition figure. lopez you know he was freed earlier today is now seeking asylum in the chilean embassy if you've seen that report year but that would seem to suit to suggest that you've got a main opposition figure here who does not think that it is safe to stay in the country he needs asylum somewhere else how do you see that. yes well it's important to remember that the office was arrested in his house and violated

there at that arrest this morning that was actually the first we heard this morning when this movement from one way to actually began to pull the office is a highly symbolic figure of the venezuelan a position he himself was once the most important face of that as well and opposition to one white oh if you will back in twenty fourteen and was arrested by the moderate government so he is definitely seeking shelter in the chilean embassy because he knows of what importance and what significance that he is as a figure and he is trying to protect not only himself but also his family so that chilean and as he has confirmed that they are now under the will you know the safe haven of the chilean embassy earlier today we heard from one of the he was starting the final fee as of of his plan to president nicolas maduro. but every hour is important in. this do you get the impression that the momentum

that seemed that he enjoyed earlier in the day has been eroded as we approach the evening and what is your sense. well again we have to look in reports and it's very difficult to tell what is actually going on in the village well streets of but we could say that of the police from what it appears to be the movement is not as powerful or as big as you would expect from a day that will change the history of venezuela forever the government of the little has even dismissed these movements as isolated events that are under full control of the government so we don't know what is planned ahead let's not forget that one by two had announced these massive protests tomorrow on may first and not today so it took many by surprise and that might be a decisive factor in the support that he can get for the movement right now and what will happen then tomorrow i mean would would you agree that one has really

crossed a line that with the events that we've seen today i mean there is no going back it seems that either he has a successful rising or you know his time is opposition leader may be numbered i mean do you think that is where we are headed right now. well let's put it this way the chances of an opposition leader in venezuela to come and go are quite high we have seen it before but there is one particular element a very important one which is the international community the international community especially with the support of likes of the united states or even colombia here the neighboring countries are with one way too and that is perhaps the most important difference they could have a little knows that and has therefore been very careful in one way who has had some important achievements like even and leaving the country and coming back despite a travel ban so he has shown us that he has enough support to achieve things that

no opposition leader has achieved before but the question and it will i have to repeat it again will be in the hands of the military if the military tonight by some way or another declares that it is with one way to go in there in the in the most important aspect which is the elite the ones who are leading the military then we will see a change probably in the situation in venezuela if not one could become one more of the list of leaders that have come and gone and before we let you go if it's true that he still has control of the military and he remains if that's the case why is he not having one why do a arrested today and why is he still allowing one to be a free man if he is still if he's in control as he claims to be. well it's the same reason that the reason why he allowed one widow to come and leave from him as well even though he had a travel ban it is because he knows that one widow is being protected by the

international community and he has to be very careful because if the incident that happened today leads to an international accusation of crimes against humanity that would justify other types of actions including military action that is something you as a model should be afraid of especially considering that the united states and colombia with its also. powerful army are backing so that is why the level of suppression is more moderate than what we've seen the father of position leaders and protests before all right steve you're our greatest in bogota tonight with the latest on the situation in venezuela thank you well it's been around one hundred days since opposition leader won quite a declared himself that it's one of those acting the president the u.s. and several other countries are backing his leadership but the actual president nicolas maduro continues to enjoy the support of the military which he claims is

the case and much of its way in the bureaucracy so what exactly has accomplished in the last three months. was. a commitment to the company i swear to formally assume. the national executive powers as acting president venezuela was with those words won by doeth trust himself into the center of venezuela's political spotlight pressuring much of the international community to pick sides. armando the thirty five year old leader of the country's national assembly claimed monday or as election and twenty eighteen was illegitimate and called for a fresh vote it was a demand ignored despite pressure from the e.u. the united states and some south american countries who recognized why those authority less than a month after why those announcement the u.s. and its allies sought to send aid into the country attempted to secure free passage

for the trucks as maduro warned the u.s. to stay out of venezuelan affairs several aid trucks were burned during the ensuing clashes the who exactly started the fire is still debated. why don't gain supporters inside venezuela by promising to leave his country out of the grips of hyperinflation but he still relied on support from the u.s. and from venice with his neighbors he briefly traveled to several of them on a diplomatic tour raising concerns that he could be arrested upon his return to caracas but he was able to really enter the country as a free man thanks in part to foreign diplomats who met him at the airport. despite his diplomatic push he's failed to gain the support of the constituent assembly a branch of the legislature controlled by maduro socialist party. they recently voted to strip of parliamentary immunity which could pave the way for his arrest. why don't has long called on the military to turn against my dear oh and support

his cause now the question is how many of them are ready to heed his call. for more now i'm joined here in the big table by a one hundred mark as vile as guns he is a researcher on latin america at the free university here in berlin it's good to have you on the show i want to ask you about these reports that we're getting here from the u.s. envoy from its way that abrams saying that three senior officials from president nicolas maduro government have negotiated with the opposition to restore order in the country is that is that a signal that things are turning in one why those favor well actually what we have seen is. one way though was declared president in charge of venezuela is that he was seeking for military support to. reseat you had a constitution and until now he had been fanning out this task so what happened

today is actually a very big surprise because he was kind of losing popular support little by little because people were getting exhausted about demonstrations in the street with little results and today was a big surprise that the man number three in the chain of command appeared together with and i mean it's very base intact us and that's the first time we've seen that right of course the previous military's that were saying that they were with way though they were either out of venice florida or were lower ranked military officers to actually fled to colombia so that is proof in there that there has been some defecting going on but we still don't have proof to say that the military has completely turned against nicolas maduro no of course not and the situation right now in minnesota is quite confused because actually there's a media blackout so it's not clear it's not there what's really happening now in. so it could be that is that this situation is like the government is saying that

they have things under control and that heard the reports about it all on opus point. the concept of chilling report for asylum yes so it doesn't seem like a good sign in. the other hand there has been news of some type of determinations in other cities with imports of military bases so i think we still have to wait ok what belt geopolitics in all of this the united states and russia are very clear who they support and you know they are supporting you know opposing sides if you will how much influence is that have been on what we are witnessing right now well of course the main job political reason why even this father matters it's all over serves so until now. government has relied pretty much on russian and chinese investment in oil fields and however the u.s. also has some investment in oil fields chevre and is in venice rather exporting oil

so. oil is oil is not the reason that is important geopolitically is it well that's what the mother will government always tells its before the war stats the u.s. wants to claim innocent as a colony because we have the largest oil reserves in the world so that's that has been always a part of it but it's a country that is of such as you can be located in the north of south america which is a region that's really a active on them drug trade issues you know coming from colombian other asian countries so there are other risk factors apart from all the major reason what about the role of the european union in this i mean we haven't heard much there was a report that the european union now saying you know we want the most moderation in this you know keep call other than that we haven't heard. much from the e.u. can the e.u. do anything right now well actually or the information that i've heard mostly from

the side of the german government is that they're basically interested in the fate of the people in so they're really much pushing forward to try to first have some type of solution to the humanitarian crisis that country faces and this has been. the main struggle of the way during the first days of this movement that finally got my daughter to accept some type of humanitarian aid coming into the country so you played a very important role here so that's that their districts reported that they're touching they're trying to first deal with a humanitarian crisis and with the political terms they are trying to get the kind of leads that lead to the us that they've taken sides that politically europe has come out on the side of one so why be silent about that today one of why that was the is the man who earlier today said this is the final phase of a political uprising yes of course they have supported by all but as you know

foreign place in the unions the coordination of a lot of countries so this is the main reason i believe that the main european leaders today are consulting actually about a common statements and so just as they have done in the united nations security council for instance the feet of one. is his fate in the hands of the opposition or is it in the hands of the united states tonight. well it's a combination it's actually you need several and gradients you have to have a way though to seal a free man and probably tomorrow the transition president as he really should be according to the constitution you have to have internal support from the people which he has you have to have international support which he has from the major countries that usually are related to minister except in russia and china which are not close allies where not close out. until now and of course you need the army

jus to make the constitution have some type of reality so that's that's i would say the key lies tonight or today in this coming days in the military and according to history. military whenever they intervene to take try to topple the regime this tends to happen quickly minister and this tends to last known no longer than then a week and some hour bloody and some are less bloody that's the question so are you before we let you go do you expect the transition of power to take place this week it is going well i'm not sure if there will be a transition in power but what i what i think based on previous episodes similar episodes in minnesota is that whatever happens will tend to happen fast neither y.o.i. dollar prevails or my daughter prevails all right a one hundred dollars goes from the for university here in berlin we appreciate your analysis and insights tonight thank you well thank you. in exclusive interview today we asked one why though how much backing he really has

from that it's where u.s. military here's what he had to say. she went over there are some key elements in this process and they are that the armed forces are not with nicolas maduro they're for change under such they are with the people and the constitution is in a state of occupation of course there has been a lot of pushing within the armed forces even some carried out by the cuban intelligence and counter intelligence services but it's clear that not only the people the majority of the people not only the international community do not support nicolas maduro but also the armed forces of our country and you cannot go to my colleague who's been following events in venezuela online he joins me now also what do you see right now there's one image really one video that is resonating with a lot of people have been tracking the events there in venezuela and it's just really shocking in its brutality against pro why don't protest there's we've seen this image already tonight this is pro-government military tanks you can see

essentially driving into a crowd of protesters clearly intentionally aiming for them we know at least one protester was seriously injured there and that crowd this was outside the air base where one made that announcement earlier this morning it really is shocking footage and brett you know we saw a lot of brutality during uprisings and protests earlier a couple of years two or three years ago it's shocking to see that now because since why doas taken to the streets we've seen a lot more peaceful response from the government that image right there has got a lot of reactions are people just saying every month some of the tiananmen square tank showing it all to do we know based on what we're seeing in social media how much support there is on the streets for this military uprising i mean we've seen the foot drive we've seen protesters and supporters on both sides out there the question now though is how much support does why don't have from the military itself because that could be the key question here and you can see videos like these it's really interesting to see how much you see the soldiers in the streets

and what they are saying these are soldiers calling to residents saying do not be afraid of quote freedom as we call. and then another video here which apparently shows a group of defected soldiers they are no longer with the duro they are now with why don't you can see them actually wearing bandannas over their face and clearly they're trying to protect their identity it's difficult to tell how much support but there certainly is support in these neighborhoods there's a lot of soldiers out and they are on why doe's side and people seemingly welcoming them i mean it's hard to get back in the numbers from the ground when talking a little bit about the difficulties that people are having just communicating right now well of course social media is so big there in terms of communicating a lot of people use whatsapp to talk to each other that is down right now twitter a very big platform in venezuela also being throttled today you tube as well this is seemingly a tactic by muro we've seen the internet suddenly go down whenever why doughy is speaking that's happening again today in fact take a look this is the moment when c.n.n.

goes down in venezuela you saw the footage there of a tank was when the channel was cut off just like down as well so information hard to come by. it is as always thank you very much very fluid situation. well here's a bit of stories now that are making headlines around the world israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has been sworn into the country's parliament will now try to form a governing coalition after his little party and its right wing allies won a slim majority in elections earlier this month if netanyahu succeeds will begin his fourth consecutive term as prime minister french authorities have announced tight security measures ahead of tomorrow's planned may day protests in paris they're worried about potential riots if radical activist join anti-government yellow vests protesters on the streets the city is trying to avoid a repeat of last year's unrest when over a thousand rioters vandalized businesses and clashed with police. as president has

lifted a nationwide social media ban imposed after the easter sunday suicide bombings which killed more than two hundred fifty people a popular site such as facebook whites and you tube have all been blocked and the government says the restrictions were necessary to curb the spread of misinformation. or continuous rains in northern mozambique are hampering attempts to deliver aid to areas devastated by sign clone kenneth aid agencies were able to fly a shipment of much needed food to survivors stranded on the badly hit island today but the weather grounded most planned deliveries authorities have urged affected residents to move to higher ground warning of a continued risk of flooding. like lone can it has destroyed many lives roads and homes an estimated thirty five thousand of them we hear now from

some of the people worst affected as they try to rescue what's left of their lives . see little know me i'm going to run with it then my name is antonio manuel and i come from tampa bay. the rain started after one o'clock in the morning. just after five o'clock my host collapsed and yet guys antonio is amongst thousands to be left homeless by the fiercest storm to ever hit africa. giru and his family fled in the chaos of. the beast have a home to return to albeit flooded out. so wind was very strong and the trees started falling down that was before it started raining. then the heavens opened and pots and pans were few child. i saw that there was just too much water inside here

i said to my wife you have to stand up and take the baby outside but out for the. cost of survival comes the salvage operation and the rain she is trying to save whatever she can from her home in the southeast of the things i started falling and half of me then i started to run leaving the door open i went outside and house the started falling one by one. fridges freezers everything was falling well built houses too we ran out so things would fall on us especially on the children to rebuild this no we will have to demolish it and start again with a new house. after a short break i'll be back to take you through the day stick around for that.

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he knows guild not us correspondent at. baker constructs this idea of the rules set by the. cuts. being recipes for success strategy that make a difference. baking bread on d.w. . well for the first time in more than two hundred years the japanese emperor today abdicated emperor akihito japan's first past of his monarch offered his gratitude to the people and nation he represented from what is known as the chrysanthemum throne tonight remembering the reign of akihito the japanese emperor who respected royal tradition and defied it at the same time i'm burned off in berlin this is the day.