Latin America

The National Constituent Assembly promoted by Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, with the mission of virtually reestablishing the Republic, will be instated on Friday in what will be a great political wager full of risks amid accusations of votes being manipulated.

Venezuela’s Attorney General, Luisa Ortega Diaz, called upon the Venezuelan people to not recognize the “presumed result” of the National Constituent Assembly election, which took place on Sunday. International rejection for President Nicolas Maduro’s project to alter the Constitution also continues to grow.

The Cuban government today denounced an “international operation” against Venezuela stemming from the United States to ignore the results of Sunday’s National Constituent Assembly, termed an extraordinary victory by President Maduro.

The Trump administration imposed personal sanctions today on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a day after the controversial Constituent Assembly election in the South American country. He did not sanction Maduro’s government.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that the National Constituent Assembly, whose members were elected on Sunday, will be used to bring the opposition leadership to justice and sent to jail.

The government announced that electoral participation was 41.53 percent (more than 8 million people) in the election of the National Constituent Assembly, a figure sharply questioned by the opposition.

Venezuelans are called on Sunday to elect the 545 members of the Constituent Assembly convened by President Nicolas Maduro, amid a wave of opposition protests that seek to stop the process they consider fraudulent.

Five people died during a 48 hour general strike summoned by the Venezuelan opposition, in the largest protest against the Constitutional Assembly which is being pushed by President Maduro. Venezuela is the Cuban government’s leading economic and political ally.

The United States today ordered the immediate departure of family members of the embassy staff in Venezuela and authorized the voluntary departure of government employees who also wish to leave, informed the US State Department.

The Trump administration imposed today sanctions on 13 senior Venezuelan officials, increasing pressure on President Nicolas Maduro within days of an election for a Constituent Assembly he seeks to draft a new Constitution.