(CNN) – The besieged president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, recognized the
Maduro made the comments after a group of pro-government legislators appointed Parra as president of the legislative body during a contested and questioned session on Sunday.
The opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, recognized as interim president of Venezuela by more than 50 countries, and currently has the title of president of the National Assembly, said the alleged election of Parra is a “farce.”
Guaido, who was expected to be reelected today as president of the National Assembly on Sunday, the Bolivarian National Guard controlled by Maduro prohibited him from entering the legislative palace along with other opposition lawmakers.
Parra was a member of the pro-Guaido Primero Justicia opposition party until December 2019, when he was expelled from the party due to a corruption scandal.
Speaking on Venezuelan national television, Maduro argued that Parra’s election is legitimate and mocked the public comments of US officials who said they continued to recognize Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of the National Assembly. “I tell Mike Pompeo and Elliott Abrams and the Assistant Secretary of State, I ask them, how are they going to explain to Donald Trump that he lost control of the National Assembly?”
Maduro also announced that according to some opposition lawmakers not aligned with Guaidó, his government accepted the reform of the much questioned Electoral Council. Once the new board takes over, Maduro said, the country will hold new elections for the National Assembly. His goal, Maduro said, is to “recover the National Assembly with votes.”
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