Maduro says Guaidó will be tried in court.

247, with Reuters - Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said that Juan Guaidó could be tried in court "sooner or later" for violating the country's Constitution by declaring himself the legitimate head of state.

Guaidó declared himself interim president of Venezuela three weeks ago, arguing that Maduro's re-election last year was a "farce." Countries like the United States and Brazil recognize Guaidó, but Maduro maintains control of state institutions, including the Armed Forces.

Maduro, in an interview with the Lebanese television channel Al-Mayadeen TV, said that Guaidó is trying to divide the country and convince the Trump administration to conduct a foreign intervention in Venezuela. "If the American empire dares to touch even a single palm leaf on our territory, it will become a new Vietnam," he said.

"This person, who believes that politics is a game and that he can violate the Constitution and the law, will sooner or later have to answer before the courts," said Maduro, adding that he was "absolutely certain" of this.

Venezuela's Supreme Court has already imposed a travel ban and frozen bank accounts on Guaidó, after approving a request from the Attorney General for a preliminary investigation into the opposition leader's actions.

Guaidó told his supporters on Tuesday (12) that shipments of "humanitarian aid" will enter the country on February 23, paving the way for a confrontation with Maduro who has rejected the supplies, since he denies that the country is going through a humanitarian crisis and considers the US action as a step towards military intervention.

On Wednesday, the Democratic leader of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, said that the U.S. Congress will not support military intervention in Venezuela, despite statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting otherwise.