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| The new president of Venezuela's National Assembly Juan Guaido declares Nicolas Maduro's presidency illegitimate in opening a new session of the opposition-controlled legislature (AFP Photo/Federico Parra) |
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly declared Nicolas Maduro's presidency illegitimate Saturday, calling on the military to support efforts to "restore democracy."
"We
reaffirm the illegitimacy of Nicolas Maduro," the assembly's new president
Juan Guaido said as he was sworn in at the start of a new legislative session.
"As of
January 10, he will be usurping the presidency and consequently this National
Assembly is the only legitimate representative of the people."
Maduro is set
to be sworn in on Thursday for a second six-year term after holding
controversial early elections May 20.
The
elections were boycotted by most of the opposition and widely condemned by the
international community.
On Friday,
foreign ministers from 12 Latin American countries and Canada announced in Lima
that their governments would not recognize Maduro as president if he attempts
to remain in office and urged him to turn over power to the National Assembly.
Guaido, in
a speech attended by lawmakers and members of the diplomatic corps, declared
that the military's chain of command had been "broken or usurped,"
but called on the armed forces to support efforts "to restore
democracy."
He
committed to "generate conditions for a government of transition and to
call free elections."
12 Latin American countries and Canada say they will not recognise Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's president when he is sworn in for a second six-year term next week https://t.co/zuO7yqxVHe pic.twitter.com/ayGL3Y02sE— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 5, 2019
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