US-backed Venezuelan opposition ousted Juan Guaido
The opposition assembly, which is different from the Venezuelan National Assembly, was formed in 2015 and announced the appointment of Dinorah Figuera as "president".
The Venezuelan opposition's congress replaced its head Juan Guaido on Thursday, a week after ousting the country's US-sponsored self-proclaimed "interim president" and dissolving his government.
The opposition assembly, which is different from the Venezuelan National Assembly, was formed in 2015 and announced the appointment of Dinorah Figuera as "president" and Marianela Fernandez and Auristela Vasquez as "vice presidents" for the 2023-2024 legislative period.
The White House said on Wednesday that it still recognized Guaido as "Venezuelan president" and will continue to coordinate efforts with him as an assembly member to support the country's people, considering elected Nicholas Maduro as "illegitimate".
Venezuela was thrown into a political crisis in January 2019 when Juan Guaido, the former head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, backed by the US, declared himself "interim president" in an attempt to depose re-elected President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro has recently confirmed that his government is ready to develop the process of normalizing political and diplomatic relations with the US.
On December 30, 2022, the Venezuelan opposition backed in a second hearing the removal of Juan Guaido's self-proclaimed "interim government", which he has led since 2019, AFP reported.
"Total votes: 72 votes in favor, 29 votes against, eight abstained," Jose Antonio Figueredo, the secretary of Venezuela’s National Assembly, had stated.
On December 22, the Venezuelan opposition voted in favor of dismantling the self-proclaimed "interim government" led by Guaido.
In October, the Venezuelan opposition's political parties were discussing plans to oust the incumbent opposition leader Juan Guaido, according to The Financial Times.
The parties which backed the decision are Primero Justicia, Accion Democratica, and Un Nuevo Tiempo.
Relations were severed consequently, which led the US to impose crippling sanctions on Venezuela's oil and financial industries, while Iran, Russia, China, Turkey, and several other nations have been supporting Maduro.