Juan Guaido trying to enter the National Assembly blocked by the police on January 5, 2020 in Caracas. – Rayner Pena / EFE / SIPA
Juan Guaido was re-elected president of the Venezuelan Parliament on Sunday by opposition lawmakers in a newspaper session after police prevented him from entering the National Assembly where a rival fought for himself proclaimed head of Parliament.
#ANFirmeConVzla | 100 VOTOS, esta votación demuestra el compromo de las fuerzas democráticas con Venezuela. A pesar de las diferencias y amenazas, prevaleció la unidad y el interés nacional. pic.twitter.com/kWno8vvLJe
– Asamblea Nacional (@AsambleaVE) January 6, 2020
“I swear to God and the people of Venezuela to uphold “the Constitution as” Speaker of Parliament and Acting Speaker, “said Juan Guaido. One hundred of the 167 deputies in the National Assembly voted for him, some of whom are being prosecuted in what the opposition has termed “political persecution” by the authorities. The vote was organized at the headquarters of the newspaper El Nacional and not in the hemicycle.
An election blocked by force
At midday, in the absence of Juan Guaido in the Assembly, Luis Parra, a rival deputy but still saying he is in opposition, grabbed a megaphone from the perch and declared himself new head of the hemicycle in an indescribable rush. Meanwhile, the military and police continued to deny Juan Guaido access to the building. The opponent then tried to climb the gates surrounding it before being pushed back by a soldier equipped with a shield and shoved by the soldiers.
The opposition, which has a majority in the unicameral parliament, quickly expressed its anger at the treatment of Juan Guaido and the gesture of Luis Parra. The deputy acted “without a vote or a quorum”, she said indignantly, referring to a “parliamentary coup”. The Lima Group, a regional body formed to seek a solution to the Venezuela crisis, condemned the use of force to prevent access to parliament.
Ecuador also protested “the excessive use of force by the Nicolas Maduro regime”. Washington, Guaido’s ally, spoke of a “desperate” attempt to replace him. Brazil accused Maduro of “forcibly blocking the legitimate vote and the re-election of Juan Guaido”. Nicolas Maduro immediately recognized Luis Parra, delighted that Juan Guaido had been “ousted”.
Opposition on the street is running out of steam
For several weeks, Juan Guaido had said he was sure he would be re-elected as the head of parliament and reach the 84 votes necessary for his re-election. But Luis Parra believes he was elected in the regular. He claims that 81 of the 140 MPs present voted for him. Luis Parra was expelled from the opposition Primero Justicia after a website accused him of receiving bribes. But despite his exclusion, he claims to be still in opposition.
With his status, Juan Guaido intends to get a second chance to continue his showdown with Nicolas Maduro, whom he blames for the economic and social crisis that is going through Venezuela. Because the 36-year-old opponent did not reach the goal proclaimed in early 2019 to “end the usurpation”. Anti-Maduro protests are attracting fewer and fewer Venezuelans, and Juan Guaido’s call for an uprising on April 30 in the military has fizzled. And Nicolas Maduro continues to enjoy the support of Russia, Cuba and China, but above all the army, the keystone of the Venezuelan political system.
In practice, the National Assembly no longer has any power. Legislative work has been carried out since 2017 by a Constituent Assembly composed entirely of Chavists. This same Constituent is responsible for convening the legislative elections to be held this year. But Juan Guaido and the parties that support him say they want to boycott the poll because it is organized by the government.
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