Venezuela: Pro-Maduro Assembly to Take Powers of Opposition-led National Assembly

Washington

In response to the days-old constitutional assembly announcing that it is taking over all legislative powers of the National Assembly, the country’s parliament, Freedom House issued the following statement:
 
“The illegal grab of legislative powers by the constitutional assembly, a group with no legal standing, is part of President Maduro’s efforts to silence all dissent and shore up a dictatorship," said Carlos Ponce, director of Latin America programs at Freedom House. “The constitutional assembly was created through a fraudulent election and has no legitimate authority to act against congress.”

Venezuela is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2017, and Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2017, and Partly Free in Freedom on the Net 2016.