Sen. Marco Rubio Invites Venezuelan Opposition Leader's Appointee to State of the Union

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) announced that he invited Carlos Vecchio, an appointee of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, to Tuesday's State of the Union address. “I’m honored to host the Venezuelan Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires [Carlos Vecchio] at the State of the Union,” Rubio wrote. “The [State of the Union] is a great tradition of our strong democracy, and I’m proud to welcome Mr. Vecchio as he continues to fight for democracy & freedom in Venezuela.” Guaidó declared himself interim president of the country and called President Nicolas Maduro's reelection illegitimate, as the election results have been widely disputed. The U.S. State Department has recognized Guaidó as the country's leader, and Vecchio in his official post on behalf of the Venezuelan government.