Court dissolves congress in Venezuela
CUENCA, Ecuador — In what Venezuela’s opposition decried as a “coup,” Venezuela’s Supreme Court effectively shut down congress, saying it would assume all legislative functions amid its contention that legislators are operating outside of the law.
The decision is expected to increase tensions in the South American nation where the opposition-controlled congress was seen as a last bastion of dissent. The move is also seen as a slap to the international community, which just this week pressed the socialist administration to respect the role of the legislature and to hold new elections.
On Thursday, Peru broke off diplomatic relations with the once-wealthy oil power that has fallen into a chaos of hunger and crime, calling it a “flagrant breach of democratic order” in the country.
In a ruling published Wednesday, the Supreme Court said that while the National Assembly continued to defy court rulings, all of its actions were “invalid” and “the activities of the parliament would be exercised [by this court].”
The ruling essentially dissolves congress at a time when it was trying to push back against President Nicolas Maduro and the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, or PSUV, which control virtually all the levers of power.
The opposition Voluntad Popular party called the move a “clear coup against our constitution and the National Assembly, which was elected by more than 15 million Venezuelans.”
The power grab goes back to January 2016, when the National Assembly swore in three opposition representatives from Amazon state even as the court had decided to investigate their election amid suspicions of voter fraud. The investigation is ongoing. The opposition has said the court is trying to rob them of their super majority.
Wednesday’s ruling not only reaffirmed the court’s decision that the National Assembly is illegitimate but went further by granting itself legislative powers.
Last week, the U.S., Canada and a dozen Latin American nations called for Mr. Maduro to recognize the National Assembly’s powers, a rare joint statement that reflected impatience with the government.