After what he and critics of the Maduro administration described as the "illegitimate" inauguration of Maduro on 10 January 2019, Guaidó challenged Maduro's claim to the presidency. The National Assembly declared Guaidó was willing to assume the responsibilities of the presidency, and continued to plan to remove Maduro. Guaidó told the "Wall Street Journal" that "[i]t's not about twisting arms, breaking kneecaps, but rather holding out a hand" and offered "amnesty to military officers who joined efforts for a transition in power." They called for demonstrations on 23 January, the 61st anniversary of the overthrow of dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez. Large numbers of demonstrators came out in cities throughout Venezuela and across the world. Guaidó declared he was acting president and took the presidential oath at a rally in Caracas.