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Caracas, Venezuela
The opposition parties voted to remove Venezuelaâs interim government headed by President Juan Guaido, who had earlier ousted leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. The National Assembly, which is controlled by the opposition, on Friday voted to dismiss the government and appointed a commission to govern the country's foreign assets.
The tally was 72 in favour of dissolving the interim government, 29 against and eight abstentions.
It comes as lawmakers seek to form a united front ahead of elections slated for 2024.
Guaido came to power in 2019 by invoking the constitution to assume the presidency. He was backed by the United States and other world governments, who were opposed to the 2018 re-election of President Nicolas Maduro, which was deemed as fraudulent.
The move is largely seen as one orchestrated by Maduro, who is believed to have control over nearly all Venezuela's institutions, including its security forces, and the interim government. Moreover, Guaidoâs waning popularity among the masses allowed the opposition to dismiss his government.
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Guaidoâs Voluntad Popular party, which did not support the bill, had urged lawmakers to replace him instead of dissolving the interim government.
"To annul this is to jump into the abyss," Guaido told the assembly after the votes. "It is destroying what could have been maintained."
The opposition parties say that the dissolution was necessary for unity ahead of the elections. And added that the opposition's control of foreign assets is not at risk.
"There are already tools to protect the assets in the United States, the United Kingdom, Portugal," said Justice First lawmaker Juan Miguel Matheus.
A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council told Reuters news agency on Friday that America will continue to support the opposition, the assembly and the interim government "regardless of what form it takesâ.
(With inputs from agencies)
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