(Caracas) A Venezuelan court has ordered the arrest of three members of the new leadership of the parallel opposition parliament, including its president Dinorah Figuera who lives in Spain.
A criminal court in Caracas on Saturday evening issued an arrest warrant for Dinorah Figuera, who replaced Juan Guaidó as president of the National Assembly, recognized by the United States and dozens of other countries as the last democratically elected institution. elected in Venezuela.
The members of this parallel parliament, elected in 2015, do not recognize the 2020 legislative elections won by the allies of President Nicolas Maduro.
The court also ordered the arrest of the first and second vice-president of parliament, Marianela Fernandez and Auristela Vasquez, who live in the United States.
The three opposition leaders are charged with “usurpation of office, treason, criminal association and money laundering, by virtue of their participation in irregular acts related to the fictitious appointment of the management team of an illegitimate National Assembly […] “, specified the judicial authorities on Twitter.
In response, the parallel assembly called on “the national democratic community and the democratic governments of the world to raise their voices and speak out against this fierce attack by the regime of Nicolas Maduro”.
On December 30, three of the main opposition parties had approved the removal of the “interim government” of Juan Guaidó that they had supported when it was created, and on January 5, a new leadership was elected for its parliament.
Juan Guaidó, self-proclaimed interim president in January 2019, failed to oust President Nicolas Maduro from power despite broad international support. This support had withered as the experiment seemed futile.
The end of the “interim” comes in a context of deep division in the opposition as the 2024 presidential election looms on the horizon. Primaries to appoint a single candidate are to take place this year. Juan Guaidó could be a candidate, according to many observers.