Trump hosts Venezuelan opposition leader at White House

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido waves as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP)

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido finally got his long-sought meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday at the White House.

Guaido was a guest during Trump's State of the Union address, where he was applauded by U.S. lawmakers while being called the "true and legitimate" leader of Venezuela by Trump.

The White House said Guaido's visit would "reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the people of Venezuela." Guaido and Trump planned to discuss how the U.S. can work with the opposition leader to "expedite a democratic transition in Venezuela that will end the ongoing crisis."

The U.S. and 60 other governments say the 2018 election of President Nicolas Maduro was illegitimate and that Guaido, leader of the country's National Assembly, should be the interim president. But Maduro remains in power, facing down a failed military uprising, anti-government protests and U.S. sanctions.

The White House says the U.S. will work with other countries in the region to "confront the illegitimate dictatorship in Venezuela."