The International Monetary Fund has quickly rejected a surprise request Tuesday by
Venezuela for an emergency $5 billion loan to fight the new coronavirus, which threatens to push its already battered
economy over the edge.
An IMF spokesperson said the request can't be considered because there was no clarity among its 189 member states on who it recognizes as Venezuela's rightful leader: Nicolás Maduro or Juan Guaidó, the U.S.-backed head of congress.
Maduro's appeal to an institution he has long vilified for help coping with the fallout from the new coronavirus came as a shock to friends and foes alike.