UPDATE - US requests Security Council meeting on Venezuela

ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - The U.S. on Thursday called on the UN Security Council to hold an open meeting to discuss the crisis in Venezuela, after mass demonstrations and opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president.

The U.S. mission to the UN said on Twitter it has "officially requested an open meeting of the UN Security Council for Saturday." The meeting was requested for 9 a.m. (1300GMT).

The request by the U.S. comes a day after protests against the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro swept the country, as demonstrators called for the Venezuelan leader to leave office amid an economic crisis in the Latin American nation.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres earlier Thursday expressed concern for what transpired in the country.

"The Secretary-General is concerned over reports of casualties in the context of demonstrations and unrest in Venezuela and calls for a transparent and independent investigation of these incidents," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, said in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared Guaido, the National Assembly president, as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, urging other western hemisphere governments to follow suit while insisting Washington will maintain economic and diplomatic pressure on Maduro's government.

Brazil and the Organization of American States recognized Guaido as Venezuela's leader prior to his formal announcement. Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama and Paraguay followed suit while Bolivia and Mexico continue to recognize Maduro.

After Trump's announcement, Maduro cut all relations with the U.S. and ordered all American diplomats to leave the country, a demand that Washington refused to meet.

"The United States does not recognize the Maduro regime as the government of Venezuela," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. "The United States does not consider former president Nicolas Maduro to have the legal authority to break diplomatic relations with the United States or to declare our diplomats persona non grata."