Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó rejected allegations Friday that he has ties to an illegal armed group in Colombia, as officials launched an investigation based on photos appearing in social media purportedly showing him posing with members of the gang.
The pictures were allegedly taken in late February when Guaidó crossed into Colombia and made a surprise appearance at a concert organized by billionaire Richard Branson aimed at helping deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela.
Government officials loyal to President Nicolás Maduro are holding up the photos as proof that Guaidó's covert journey was orchestrated with the help of a criminal gang known as the Rastrojos, an accusation he denies.