UN Chief Concerned about Legislature Chaos in Venezuela

HAVANA TIMES – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is “following with concern” the fallout from Venezuela’s congressional election, which saw two parliamentary speakers approved in two separate votes, reported dpa.

Guterres called on all actors to take immediate steps to lower tensions and work towards a peaceful and sustainable solution to the political crisis, in a statement released by his spokesman on Monday.

His remarks came a day after a chaotic election to the National Assembly, which left it unclear who would be considered the head of the body which acts as Venezuela’s congress.

An official but disputed vote picked Luis Parra, who is backed by embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and opposition lawmakers re-elected self-declared interim president Juan Guaido as the leader of the body.

Guaido’s supporters held a separate vote after security forces prevented Guaido and several dozen other opposition lawmakers from entering the building to have their say, according to local media reports.

A spokesman for EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said it was “not acceptable” that Guaido was blocked from taking part in the official vote.

The National Assembly is considered by many nations as the only democratically elected body left in Venezuela, after Maduro created a pro-government parallel parliament in 2017 – the Constituent Assembly
– which largely sidelined the National Assembly.