¼ª²ÊÍøÍøÕ¾

Updated at 2:20 p.m. ET

After more than a week abroad trying to build support for his claim to the presidency, Venezuela's opposition leader Juan ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó re-entered the country via a flight from Panama City on Monday.

He was met at the airport outside Caracas by opposition supporters, members of the opposition-controlled National Assembly and a number of foreign diplomats, including the U.S. chargé d'affaires, .

Amid raucous cheers from the crowd, ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó headed to a car, waving and giving a V for victory salute, before heading into Caracas for a rally.

³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó throughout the country as he continues to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to cede power.

³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó addressed thousands of supporters gathered in Caracas Monday, telling them, "We're much stronger than ever."

"We are ecstatic," Tita Beaufrand, a Caracas-based photographer and graphic designer told NPR's Philip Reeves at the rally, noting ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó's reception at the airport, complete with diplomats, was worthy of "a president."

Beaufrand called ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó "the right man, at the right time, at the right place," noting she has been protesting in Caracas for around two decades: "I've been shot at, I've had to run, I've had to breathe gas," she said. "There's certainly no going back."

³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó is asking supporters to maintain the momentum, new country-wide demonstrations on March 9.

The 35-year-old ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó is the self-declared interim president of Venezuela, and has the support of dozens countries including the United States.

Last month, ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó secretly left Venezuela for Colombia and has since been on a multi-nation Latin American tour aimed at shoring up support for his claim to Venezuela's presidency. He departed Ecuador on Sunday.

Ariana Cubillos / AP

/

AP

His return to Venezuela could precipitate a direct confrontation with Maduro, who will face the choice of whether to arrest ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó or whether to let the challenge to his authority continue unimpeded. If the Maduro government does try to arrest him, ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó said in a Sunday night, "it will be the last mistake they make," Reuters reported.

If Maduro's forces try to detain him, ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó said, he has left a "clear path" for his allies to follow, his supporters they are "stronger than ever" and that now is not the time to back down.

In an interview with on Sunday, ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó said he saw multiple scenarios that could lead to the ouster of Maduro without the use of external force. "First, that an election is allowed to take place in a free and transparent manner. That's what we're working for as soon as possible."

Also, he said, "there is an option where the military could get on the side of the constitution and of ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó and of the resistance, and it could stop the usurpation. That's the option that uses force, but it comes from within."

³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó told the Post he has offered amnesty guarantees to military and civilians who are part of the Maduro regime and "who are willing to help restore democracy in Venezuela."

When he left on a tour of Latin American allies in pursuit of support, ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó ignored a put in place by a Venezuelan court. Experts are uncertain what will happen now that ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó has returned. If Maduro doesn't have him arrested, they say, he could appear weak; if Maduro does arrest him, that could quell the opposition — or it could strengthen international condemnation and potentially provoke military action.

"Any measure that could put at risk Juan ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó's freedom, safety or personal integrity would represent a major escalation of tensions and meet the firm condemnation of the international community," said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, according to The Associated Press.

"The two of them are between a rock and a hard place," former Venezuelan ambassador to the U.S. and former interior minister Ignacio Arcaya, who believes Maduro is likely to arrest ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó.

"If he arrests him, the world pressure will pull him out of jail pretty soon," Colombian President Iván Duque told the . "But if he decides to do something nasty, nobody inside of Venezuela would support him. It would be like Nero burning Rome."

Russian politician Valentina Matviyenko told Venezuelan leadership that Russia is concerned the U.S. is looking for any kind of incitement "to provoke bloodshed" and to justify military intervention in Venezuela, according to Russian news service . Russia backs Maduro's claim to the presidency.

During an with RT, Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodriguez would not rule out criminally prosecuting ³Ò³Ü²¹¾±»åó upon his return to Venezuela. Plotting to topple the government is against the law, she said, and Venezuelan authorities "are already taking the necessary measures and will continue to protect our state of law and order."

NPR's Philip Reeves contributed to this report

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.