Venezuela’s Maduro calls extension of parliament ‘unconstitutional’

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday stated a transfer by the opposition-controlled National Assembly to increase its time period into subsequent 12 months was “unconstitutional,” and referred to as on the South American nation’s justice system to “do its work.”
The National Assembly, overseen by opposition chief Juan Guaido, has declared Dec. 6 parliamentary elections wherein allies of Maduro’s ruling socialists gained a majority as “illegitimate”, and over the weekend voted to delay its mandate.
Venezuela’s mainstream opposition events boycotted the vote on the premise that they might not be free and honest. Maduro, who calls Guaido a U.S.-backed puppet in search of to oust him in a coup, has stated the electoral circumstances have been as clear as when the opposition gained a majority within the parliament in 2015.

“In the face of unconstitutional claims to self-proclaim term extensions that are not warranted, we trust that the justice system will do its job with an iron fist,” Maduro stated in a state tv look with members of the army.
The parliament’s transfer to increase its time period comes as dozens of legislators going through legal investigation for alleged crimes like treason have fled the nation. Others have expressed unwillingness to proceed serving in congress resulting from what they describe as persecution the federal government.
Guaido labels Maduro a corrupt dictator who has overseen the financial collapse of the once-prosperous OPEC nation.
Guaido is acknowledged by dozens of Western democracies which have questioned the legitimacy of Maduro’s 2018 re-election vote as Venezuela’s rightful chief, resulting from his place because the National Assembly’s speaker.