Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido on Wednesday defended foreign sanctions against his country 24 hours after he was attacked at Caracas international airport by state airline employees calling him a fascist.

Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido on Wednesday defended foreign sanctions against his country 24 hours after he was attacked at Caracas international airport by state airline employees calling him a fascist. Guaido returned on Tuesday from a three-week international tour that took him to the US, Canada, Colombia and Europe. He was met by some angry Conviasa workers enraged that last Friday the US placed sanctions on the state airline company. The US action criminalizing transactions with the flag carrier is the latest of many sanctions by Washington aimed at toppling leftist President Nicolas Maduro's regime, particularly by cutting his government's oil revenue. One protester appeared to douse Guaido with a fizzy drink. But speaking to journalists after a legislative session held in a Caracas plaza, the National Assembly speaker defended the use of sanctions. Guaido's uncle Juan Marquez, who vanished after flying back with him, had been arrested, top Maduro ally Diosdado Cabello said, accusing him of smuggling explosives. Also Read: Venezuela's Guaido calls for more protests against Maduro On his state television programme, Cabello said Marquez was detained for allegedly carrying C-4 explosives hidden inside flashlights and perfume refills, and was wearing a bulletproof vest. Guaido had denounced the "disappearance" of his uncle at the airport and said he would hold Maduro responsible for whatever happened to him. More sanctions for criminals Maduro retains the support of Venezuela's powerful military and has resisted Guaido's challenge, even as the United States ramps up the pressure. For the second time in less than a year, Guaido flouted a travel ban imposed by Maduro's regime to meet with allies around the world, including US President Donald Trump. Guaido sprang to prominence in January 2019 when he declared himself the country's acting president in a direct challenge to Maduro. He derived such authority from his position as the speaker of the National Assembly after the legislature declared Maduro's 2018 re-election invalid following a poll widely denounced as rigged. Lawmakers called Maduro a "usurper" while more than 50 countries recognized Guaido as interim president. He retained his Assembly post last month despite a standoff in which troops stopped him from entering the legislature. Watch: Donald Trump calls Juan Guaido as true President of Venezuela Although it sits on the world's largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela's economy has collapsed under Maduro's leadership and the country has suffered five years of recession. The UN says more than 4.5 million people have left the country due to its crisis while inflation is the highest in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund. Maduro told supporters celebrating World Youth Day that "traitors go abroad to ask for sanctions against the people." Cabello, considered the second-most powerful person in the country, said the sanctions had affected Venezuela's ability to buy food and medicine. Last year, Guaido tried to force in humanitarian aid from Colombia, Brazil and Curacao but under Maduro's orders, the military blocked entry points to keep it out. Students rallied in Caracas on Wednesday in support of Guaido, who repeated his claim from Tuesday that his uncle had disappeared since returning with him to the Caracas international airport on the same flight he took from Portugal.

Sanctions against the Maduro regime defended by Venezuela's President Guaido

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was to install a powerful new assembly of his allies on Friday, dismissing an international outcry and opposition protests saying he is burying democracy in his country.

The Constituent Assembly, elected last weekend in a vote marred by violence and allegations of fraud, will sit in a chamber in the Legislative Palace in Caracas, where the opposition-controlled legislature is located.

The inaugural session of its 500 plus members who include Maduro&#39;s wife and son will take place under high tension.

The opposition has called a mass march in the capital, raising fears of violence that could add to a death toll of more than 125 over the past four months.

&quot;Let there be no provocations, nor should people fall into provocations,&quot; Maduro said late Thursday as he assured all was ready for the Constituent Assembly.

Unlimited powers&nbsp;

The body marks a new stage in Venezuela&#39;s rule.

With unlimited powers to dissolve the National Assembly or amend laws, the new body is tasked with rewriting the 1999 constitution brought in under Maduro&#39;s late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez.

Maduro claims its work will yank Venezuela out of its worsening spiral of political and economic crisis, though he has not detailed how. Nor has he given an end-date for the Constituent Assembly, which he said would operate for years.

The body is being challenged on several fronts.

Backing opposition allegations of fraud, Smartmatic, a British-based company involved in the vote technology behind the election last Sunday, said the official turnout figure had been tampered with and exaggerated by at least a million voters.

Although brushed off by Maduro as part of a plot by &quot;the international enemy,&quot; that gave grounds for Venezuelan Attorney General Luisa Ortega, a thorn in Maduro&#39;s side, &nbsp;to order an investigation. 
She said prosecutors had lodged court cases seeking to have the Constituent Assembly annulled, though few in Venezuela believed that would be achieved.

The country&#39;s supreme court has systematically sided with the president in blocking prosecutorial or legislative gambits against the government.

Defiance&nbsp;

Using his daily appearances on state television, Maduro has lashed out at several of the 40 countries that admonished him for seeing through the creation of the new assembly.

After being hit with US sanctions and called a dictator by US President Donald Trump, Maduro said defiantly that he was standing up to what he called imperialism.

The Venezuelan leader also slammed Mexico, Chile, and Peru as American vassals for saying they would not recognize the new assembly.

But with the European Union and other nations also condemning the Constituent Assembly, Maduro is fighting against a broad tide, even if he has the support of Russia, which holds billions in Venezuelan debt, as well as Cuba, Bolivia and Nicaragua.

Diving currency&nbsp;

The uncertainty and unease surrounding the path Maduro has set Venezuela on has been reflected in an accelerating depreciation of the country&#39;s already debilitated currency, the bolivar.

It lost more than 17 per cent of its value against the dollar on Thursday, placing scarce imported food and medicine further out of reach for many Venezuelans.

One analyst, Luis Salamanca, said the new assembly &quot;is being born badly, but Maduro doesn&#39;t care. He just wants a Constituent Assembly that suits him.&quot;

According to Datanalisis, a polling firm, 72 per cent of Venezuelans reject the assembly. And 80 per cent reject Maduro&#39;s leadership.

But the president enjoys the backing of the military, as well as judicial and electoral authorities, allowing him to forge on. &quot;More than changing the constitution, the main goal is to govern without limits,&quot; said another analyst, Benigno Alarcon.

With unlimited powers to dissolve the National Assembly or amend laws, the new body is tasked with rewriting the 1999 constitution brought in under Maduro's late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was to install a powerful new assembly of his allies on Friday, dismissing an international outcry and opposition protests saying he is burying democracy in his country. The Constituent Assembly, elected last weekend in a vote marred by violence and allegations of fraud, will sit in a chamber in the Legislative Palace in Caracas, where the opposition-controlled legislature is located. The inaugural session of its 500 plus members who include Maduro's wife and son will take place under high tension. The opposition has called a mass march in the capital, raising fears of violence that could add to a death toll of more than 125 over the past four months. "Let there be no provocations, nor should people fall into provocations," Maduro said late Thursday as he assured all was ready for the Constituent Assembly. Unlimited powers The body marks a new stage in Venezuela's rule. With unlimited powers to dissolve the National Assembly or amend laws, the new body is tasked with rewriting the 1999 constitution brought in under Maduro's late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Maduro claims its work will yank Venezuela out of its worsening spiral of political and economic crisis, though he has not detailed how. Nor has he given an end-date for the Constituent Assembly, which he said would operate for years. The body is being challenged on several fronts. Backing opposition allegations of fraud, Smartmatic, a British-based company involved in the vote technology behind the election last Sunday, said the official turnout figure had been tampered with and exaggerated by at least a million voters. Although brushed off by Maduro as part of a plot by "the international enemy," that gave grounds for Venezuelan Attorney General Luisa Ortega, a thorn in Maduro's side, to order an investigation. She said prosecutors had lodged court cases seeking to have the Constituent Assembly annulled, though few in Venezuela believed that would be achieved. The country's supreme court has systematically sided with the president in blocking prosecutorial or legislative gambits against the government. Defiance Using his daily appearances on state television, Maduro has lashed out at several of the 40 countries that admonished him for seeing through the creation of the new assembly. After being hit with US sanctions and called a dictator by US President Donald Trump, Maduro said defiantly that he was standing up to what he called imperialism. The Venezuelan leader also slammed Mexico, Chile, and Peru as American vassals for saying they would not recognize the new assembly. But with the European Union and other nations also condemning the Constituent Assembly, Maduro is fighting against a broad tide, even if he has the support of Russia, which holds billions in Venezuelan debt, as well as Cuba, Bolivia and Nicaragua. Diving currency The uncertainty and unease surrounding the path Maduro has set Venezuela on has been reflected in an accelerating depreciation of the country's already debilitated currency, the bolivar. It lost more than 17 per cent of its value against the dollar on Thursday, placing scarce imported food and medicine further out of reach for many Venezuelans. One analyst, Luis Salamanca, said the new assembly "is being born badly, but Maduro doesn't care. He just wants a Constituent Assembly that suits him." According to Datanalisis, a polling firm, 72 per cent of Venezuelans reject the assembly. And 80 per cent reject Maduro's leadership. But the president enjoys the backing of the military, as well as judicial and electoral authorities, allowing him to forge on. "More than changing the constitution, the main goal is to govern without limits," said another analyst, Benigno Alarcon.

President Maduro to install new assembly amid protests by opposition

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Sanctions against the Maduro regime defended by Venezuela's President Guaido

President Maduro to install new assembly amid protests by opposition