Venezuela’s Maduro Defies Trump over Constitution Re-write

President Nicolas Maduro said that controversial plans to re-write Venezuela’s constitution will move ahead “now more than ever” following US President Donald Trump’s threat of economic sanctions.

Maduro, speaking late Tuesday to the country’s Defence Council, also said the government will launch a “special emergency justice plan” to capture antiadministration “conspirators,” who will then receive “exemplary punishment.”

The sharp words came after Trump on Monday warned of unspecified “strong and swift economic actions” against Venezuela if the July 30 Constituent Assembly election was held.

An unofficial plebiscite held by opponents to the leftist regime over weekend saw 7.6 million voters -- out of an electorate of 19 million -- reject the planned Constituent Assembly and support early elections.

The opposition, which controls the National Assembly, fears that Maduro’s plan is designed to keep the leftist administration in power indefinitely.

Trump slammed Maduro as “a bad leader who dreams of becoming a dictator,” and said that the United States “will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles.”

The United States and Venezuela have had decades of tense relations, dating back to the time of Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s mentor and predecessor who died in 2013.

Venezuela, which is almost entirely reliant on its oil exports for revenues, ships a third of its crude production to the United States.

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Samuel Moncada said Maduro had ordered a “profound review” of ties with Washington. Neither country has had an ambassador in the other since 2010.