Rebel troops stage mutiny in bid to kick out president

Clashes in Caracas as Venezuelan forces arrest rebelling soldiers

Guaido has said he would be willing to replace Maduro as interim president, with the support of the military, to call free elections.

Last week, the National Assembly, the opposition-controlled legislative body led by opposition figure Juan Guaido, declared Maduro a "usurper" and chose to push for a transitional government to be established.

"Our military knows that the command chain is broken by the usurpation of the presidency", Guaido said in a message on Twitter in which he reiterated a promise to support all members of the armed forces working to restore Venezuela's democratic order.

The coup comes at a time of rising tensions in Venezuela, fuelled by Mr Maduro's inauguration to a second six-year term under circumstances governments around the world have branded illegitimate.

Guaido's declaration takes Venezuela into uncharted territory, with the possibility of the opposition now running a parallel government recognized overseas as legitimate but without control over state functions. "We need your support".

"On behalf of President Donald Trump and all the American people, let me express the unwavering support of the United States as you, the people of Venezuela, raise your voices in a call for freedom", he said.

"We want Maduro to go, we're fed up", added a man.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday he had ordered a "revision" of diplomatic relations with the United States and would announce new measures in the next few hours.

Maduro's reelection past year was contested by the opposition, and criticized internationally - but the military has repeatedly reiterated its loyalty to the socialist leader.

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US Senator Marco Rubio warned of manipulation by Venezuela's intelligence service, urging them to "reconsider the plan they have for tomorrow before it's too late".

U.S. officials are considering a range of potential measures, including restricting USA imports of Venezuelan oil or even a full ban, to punish Maduro's government but no final decisions have been made as Washington closely watches the street protests unfolding in the country, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The mutiny sparked at least 30 small protests in different parts of Caracas, according to a non-governmental organization monitoring social conflict. "They only have interests, guts and the ambition to take Venezuela's oil, gas and gold".

"We leave the violence to others", Guaido said. He also said though Maduro promised safety and security in the country, the streets continue to be filled with kidnappers and murderous gangs.

The National Assembly has always been held in check by the Supreme Court, which stripped it of its powers after the Opposition gained control of the legislature in 2016 elections.

Guaido has acknowledged as much. Three people were shot dead on Tuesday night in southern Bolivar City during a looting of a grocery store that followed a nearby protest, Bolivar state governor Justo Noguera said in a telephone interview. The urgency increased after Houston-based ConocoPhillips and Canadian gold miner Crystallex International Corp. managed to wring $1 billion out of the government by threatening to lay claim to Venezuela's assets overseas. "The only transition is to socialism", he said.

The biggest stumbling block to potential opposition success is the military high command's loyalty to Maduro. There are also 1.6 million civilian militiamen.

An unspecified number of officers early on Monday attacked a National Guard outpost in the Caracas neighbourhood of Cotiza, a kilometre from the presidential Miraflores palace, where they met "firm resistance", the government said in a statement. Poverty has been on the increase as people face shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine.

The United Nations estimates as many as 3 million Venezuelans have fled since 2014.