Maduro government committed coup, said Venezuelan Congress
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is facing a crisis against the country's Congress, which accused his government of staging a coup d'etat by blocking a poll removing him from power. Opposition lawmakers passed a resolution, which officially declares a "coup d'etat committed by the Nicolas Maduro regime" and the "breakdown of constitutional order" as a result.
An emergency session on the political crisis and economic gripping the South American oil giant briefly fell into chaos when Maduro's supporters forced their way into the National Assembly, causing the proceedings to halt for 45 minutes. The lawmakers called Venezuelans to "actively defend" the constitution and would ask the international community to "activate mechanisms" to restore its democracy.
Majority leader Julio Borges said that the assembly will lay the groundwork that will include a legal session and political trial of President Maduro to clarify his role in the interruption of constitutional order. But pro-Marudo lawmakers accused the opposition of seeking to stage a coup, Yahoo has reported.
The legislature's resolution is symbolic. The Supreme Court has declared the legislative majority in contempt for defying the swearing-in of three lawmakers in an electoral fraud investigation. The opposition criticized the high court as a rubber-stamp for the Maduro government, as it has taken down every bill that has been passed by the opposition last January.
Venezuela has hit a new low Thursday when CNE (National Electoral Council) suspended the recall poll process after the opposition committed fraud in the initial petition drive. Holding a recall referendum - a right guaranteed under the constitution - was the opposition's vital strategy to get rid of Maduro, who has been accused of bringing the country into a shrink. The opposition has been preparing and collecting signatures from four million voters who demand a recall vote.
The economy has crashed because of the global fall in oil prices. Riots, food shortages, and robberies in recent months rose to alarming levels. Around 43 people died because of the anti-government protests. Since 2014, Venezuela's economy has been facing a tightening of 10% just this year and an inflation of 475%, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicting its rise to 1,660% next year, via MSN.
The latest crisis comes as Maduro toured the Middle East to incite his plan for oil producers to slash output. The country desperately needs oil prices to rise and to reverse its economic crash.
A recent poll found 75% or more of Venezuelans condemn the socialist leader.
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