Venezuela's military backs Maduro, as standoff hardens with US

Venezuelan opposition activists take part in a women's march aimed to keep pressure on President Nicolas Maduro, whose authority is being increasingly challenged by protests and deadly unrest, in Caracas on May 6, 2017. [AFP photo]

Venezuela's powerful military threw its weight behind President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday as the US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido pressed a direct challenge to his authority, and the fate of the crisis-wracked country hung in the balance.

As the death toll from days of street protests jumped to 26, a defiant Maduro announced the closure of Venezuela's embassy and consulates in the United States, a day after President Donald Trump's administration declared his regime "illegitimate."