Pro-Maduro assembly extends rule as Caracas rally marks disputed poll win

CARACAS: Venezuela’s Constituent Assembly, made up entirely of loyalists of President Nicolas Maduro, announced on Monday it has extended its mandate to rule the crisis-stricken country for another 18 months until the end of 2020.

The move comes a year after the contested re-election of embattled Maduro, locked in a struggle for power with Juan Guaido, who has declared himself interim president and is backed by more than 50 countries including the United States.

In a decree approved unanimously and which applies immediately, the Constituent Assembly extended its functioning “at least until December 31, 2020.” The pro-Maduro body has effectively sidelined and replaced Venezuela’s opposition-dominated National Assembly, which is led by Guaido.