Venezuela: The Opposition National Assembly Takes Office and the Maduro Regime Strikes Back

The struggle for a free Venezuela continues

Majority opposition National Assembly sworn in today in Venezuela

 On December 23, 2015 reported on how the Maduro regime was packing the supreme court to undo the electoral defeat suffered at the ballot box on December 6th that led to the opposition winning a super majority. Today the opposition took the reigns in the National Assembly in a tense and divided atmosphere. Agence France Press reported it as follows:

Venezuela's opposition on Tuesday broke the government's 17-year grip on the legislature and vowed to force out President Nicolas Maduro despite failing for the time being to clinch its hoped-for "supermajority". The National Assembly swore in deputies to 163 of the 167 seats, with four lawmakers -- three opposition and one pro-government -- suspended pending a lawsuit over alleged electoral fraud.

Maduro has taken things a step further using the supreme court to strip the National Assembly of the power over the Central Bank and leaving it firmly in the executive, i.e. Maduro's hands. If the National Assembly fails to achieve the "supermajority" than the Chavista's will continue to gut the National Assembly and replace it with a puppet copy.

Pro-Maduro motorcycle gangs were out trying to intimidate today

 The thuggish behavior of the Maduro regime was once again on display inside and outside of the National Assembly seeking to intimidate and coerce. Two journalists were badly beaten up outside of the National Assembly by colectivos who blocked access to the national legislature and Chavista's walked out of the chamber.

Eduardo Rios, one of the journalists beaten up by Chavistas today outside the National Assembly

However, despite all this the opposition's call to national reconciliation and an amnesty demonstrated a political maturity that the Chavistas could learn from. The opposition is challenging a despotic regime using nonviolent and constitutional means.

Families of prisoners of conscience call for an amnesty (BBC)