OTTAWA -- Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is in Ottawa today for meetings with the Trudeau government as part of an international push to re-ignite support for his efforts to bring democracy to his country.

He started the day at Global Affairs Canada for a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sits down with Guaido later this afternoon.

Guaido, the head of the South American nation's congress, is trying to bolster international support for his effort to replace the country's current president and lead Venezuela until a transparent presidential election can be held.

"I commend Interim President Guaido for the courage and leadership he has shown in his efforts to return democracy to Venezuela, and I offer Canada's continued support," Trudeau said in a statement.

"Canadians stand with the people of Venezuela in their pursuit of free and fair elections and basic human rights."

The country has been mired in a political and economic crisis for years, but the situation took a turn just over a year ago when socialist leader Nicolas Maduro sought to hold on to power after an election decried by many countries as illegitimate.

Guaido received the support of Canada, and dozens of nations who recognize him as Venezuela's leader and call for Maduro's ouster.

Last year in Ottawa, Canada hosted the Lima Group coalition, which includes about a dozen like-minded Western Hemisphere countries, minus the United States.

The group's final declaration coming out of the meeting called on the military to switch allegiance and support Guaido as a step towards ending the country's political and economic crisis.

But a year after that push, the situation has essentially stagnated, with Maduro holding power with little significant opposition.

Meanwhile, Venezuelans are voting with their feet by continuing to flee the country in rising numbers as the economy, health and education systems collapse -- a situation widely blamed on Maduro's corruption.

The outflow of more than 4.5 million Venezuelan refugees is predicted to grow to more than six million by the end of 2020, according to recent estimates from the United Nations refugee agency.