Venezuela Supreme Court Rules Parliament's Term Extension Invalid

The mainstream opposition, led by National Assembly speaker Juan Guaido, boycotted parliamentary elections held on Dec. 6 on the basis they would not be free and fair. While the ruling socialist party won that vote handily, Guaido’s allies rejected the results and voted last weekend to extend their term.

The sentence declared any action taken by current legislators “with the purpose of perpetuating, extending or continuing their status as National Assembly lawmakers” to be “lacking in judicial validity and effect”, Reuters reported.

The opposition views the Supreme Court as beholden to Maduro’s government, which it labels a dictatorship.

Maduro calls Guaido a US puppet seeking to oust him in a coup to win control of the OPEC nation’s vast oil reserves.