A total of 72 former deputies who supported the self-proclamation of Juan Guaidó as president in charge of Venezuela in 2019 approved this Friday the elimination of the so-called “interim government”an instance that had the recognition of the United States and a small group of countries.
The former parliamentarians, meeting virtually, ratified this decision -which they had already approved in a discussion that took place last week-, despite the rejection of a small group that defended the continuity of the interim.
In addition, They agreed to keep the National Assembly (Parliament) elected in 2015 active – which does not recognize the legitimacy of the Legislature installed in 2021, with an overwhelming pro-government majority – solely to legislate around the protection of Venezuela’s resources abroad, which until now have been controlled by the “interim government.”
Guaidó’s approach, which was to preserve the interim, was supported by 23 former deputies who described the elimination of this figure as a “legal assassination.”
Eight opponents, some independent and others from the Encuentro Ciudadano and Proyecto Venezuela parties, abstained from the vote, questioning the constitutional legality of the proposal presented by the Acción Democrática, Primero Justicia and Un Nuevo Tiempo formations.
Before the vote, Guaidó warned that eliminating the interim represents a “leap into the void”, for which he asked the members of these four parties to defend the “institutionality” of the opposition struggle represented in the figure of the “interim government” above of “names and personal interests”.
Former deputy and member of Primero Justicia Juan Miguel Matheus indicated that new political strategies are required to defeat the government of Nicolás Maduro in presidential elections, scheduled for 2024.
For his part, former parliamentarian Freddy Guevara, leader of Voluntad Popular, affirmed that eliminating the “interim presidency” is an “error” that could be charged to those who supported this decision.
The so-called interim government, without real power within Venezuela, had the recognition of the United States and a small group of countries, which allowed him to control some public resources abroad.
To continue with this policy, the former insurgent deputies proposed and approved maintaining the ad hoc boards that handle issues of the state oil company PDVSA and the Central Bank abroad.