Venezuelan opposition dissolves Guaido-led interim government

BOGOTA

The Venezuelan opposition on Friday voted to dissolve the interim government led by Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president in 2019.

Gathering at an online meeting, the opposition-controlled National Assembly, a body established in 2015 but has since been mostly symbolic, announced that the government was temporarily dissolved by the majority decision despite the opposition from Guaido and some former opposition lawmakers.

In the National Assembly, 72 voted in favor and 29 against to dissolve the interim government. Eight opposition parties abstained from voting, arguing that the proposal was unconstitutional.

Juan Miguel Matheus, a former lawmaker of the Justice First party, said a new political strategy is needed to defeat the government of President Nicolas Maduro in the upcoming presidential election slated for 2024.

Freddy Guevara, one of the leading figures of the opposition, said the abolition of the interim government was a "mistake."

Meanwhile, Guaido said the move to eliminate the interim government would harm the anti-Chavez unity.

Guaido recalled that he is still recognized as the legitimate head of state by the US and some countries, adding the decision to abolish the constitutional instrument "does not put us in a good position in terms of political reality."

He also said Venezuela's assets abroad may be at risk, vowing that he would not give up the struggle and called for unity in the presidential election.

In the 2015 parliamentary elections in Venezuela, the opposition won more than 65% of the votes, taking 112 seats in the then 167-seat National Assembly.

In 2019, Guaido declared himself "interim head of the state" to oust the reelected President Maduro and had the support of many Latin American and Western countries, especially the US.