Venezuela: Guaido vows to fight despite 15-year ban from public office
Caracas, Mar 29 : Venezuela’s opposition leader has pledged to continue his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro, despite being barred from holding public office for 15 years, local media on Friday said.
Earlier on Thursday, Venezuela’s Comptroller General Elvis Amoroso said that Leader Juan Guaido will be barred from holding public office for 15 years following an investigation that showed irregularities in his financial records.
The move comes as the government increases pressure on an opposition movement backed by the United States and dozens of other countries, Sky news reported.
Following the decision, Mr Guaido said: “We’re going to continue in the streets.”
The power struggle between President Maduro and Mr Guaido has intensified the sense of crisis in Venezuela which suffered its worst blackouts earlier this month and then another round of power outages this week.
Mr Maduro, who is backed by Russia, says he is the target of a US-led coup plot.
Venezuelan authorities this month arrested Mr Guaido’s chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, and accused him of being involved in a “terrorist” scheme to overthrow the government.
The United States was the first nation to recognise Mr Guaido as interim president, claiming that Mr Maduro’s re-election last year was illegitimate.
UNI.