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CARACAS, March 5-- Venezuelans expect negotiation and dialogue instead of foreign intervention in the country's political standoff as the opposition leader Juan Guaido returned to Venezuela on Monday. Guaido flew back to Caracas on Monday after more than a week abroad. He then attended a rally and called for massive protests on Saturday. While tensions are mounting as Guaido's return posed a direct challenge to Maduro's elected government and could end with Guaido being arrested, long-suffering Venezuelans urge the opposing camps to resolve the political conflict in a more peaceful way. ESCALATING TENSIONS The political conflict between Nicolas Maduro's elected government and the opposition led by Juan Guaido erupted as Guaido, head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, declared himself interim president during an anti-government rally on Jan. 23, a move which was immediately recognized by the United States. Maduro, who won 2018 Venezuelan presidential election and was inaugurated for a second term on Jan. 10, then sealed off the country's border on Feb. 23 to block the U.S. aid shipment. The aid has been accused as a part of a military coup attempt by Maduro, who agreed to accept humanitarian aid from the European Union via the United Nations (UN) system. Guaido left Venezuela and went on a tour of regional allies after the U.S. aid shipment failed to cross Venezuelan key borders, defying orders banning him from leaving. Although Maduro said the opposition leader could be put in jail when he returned, Guaido nevertheless came back to Venezuela on Monday and announced a new protest against Maduro in the coming Saturday. | 
