Venezuela Condemns US Sanctions Against Assembly's New Leadership

Venezuela’s government denounced Monday a new attack by the United States of unilateral and coercive sanctions against Venezuelan officials, including lawmakers from the opposition who were elected on Jan. 5 as the National Assembly’s new leadership.

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In the statement released by Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza on his Twitter account, the authorities said that U.S.’s President Donald Trump’s administration "is intending to hide its manifest failure in attempts to impose a change of government by force."

In addition, they indicated that this new U.S. measure proves the extension of this country’s interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs, "to the point of intervening in the Venezuelan Parliament’s exclusive affairs," so that they become those who decide over the legislative authorities.

"It should be remembered that the decisions of the Venezuelan Parliament are sovereign and autonomous with respect to the other public powers of the State. The actions of the parliamentarians are part of what established in article 201 of the Constitution," the statement adds.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s administration also recalled that these latest sanctions against the South American country, as well as the previous economic sanctions,  are a violation of international law and undermine the stability, peace, and self-determination of the people in Venezuela.

"Venezuela rejects this new U.S. aggression and reaffirms that no foreign pressure will divert it from the path of independence and sovereign democratic will of its citizens."

Lawmaker Juan Guaido was replaced as president of the Assembly after elections were held according to the country’s Constitution on Jan. 5, as 81 lawmakers voted for opposition politician Luis Parra to become the new president of the legislative body in a session with enough a quorum of 150 lawmakers. 

Guaido did not reach the necessary votes but tried to boycott the process by proclaiming himself president in parallel and illegally, with the support of international media. Soon after he self-proclaimed president of the National Assembly.