Istanbul
Venezuela’s embattled President Nicolas Maduro rejected an international ultimatum to call elections within eight days and said opposition leader Juan Guaido had violated the country’s constitution by declaring himself leader.

Maduro said he was open to dialogue and that meeting US President Donald Trump was improbable but not impossible. The broadcaster dubbed the interview from Spanish into Turkish.

Washington, which has recognised Guaido as leader, had on Saturday urged the world to “pick a side” on Venezuela and financially disconnect from Maduro’s government. Venezuela has sunk into turmoil under Maduro with food shortages and protests amid an economic and political crisis that has sparked emigration and inflation that is seen rising to 10 million per cent this year.