From Caribbean News Now

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared, “We are going to measure ourselves electorally” and added that the only victor would be the people.

The US sanctions essentially cut off Maduro’s regime from its Houston-based subsidiary Citgo, denying officials of an estimated US $11 billion in hard currency from exports this year.

It was initially set up by Maduro to write a new constitution and gave itself absolute power following its creation in August 2017.

Millions of starving Venezuelans continued their struggle to find food and necessities over the weekend, with various outlets reporting “mile-long” lines for gasoline in the once oil-rich country.

Maduro’s supporters marched Monday to commemorate the anniversary of the re-election of the Venezuelan president as part of the elections of May 20, 2018. The last elections were held in 2015 in which Guaidó-led opposition won a majority.

Multiple rounds of sanctions on Venezuelan state companies have been imposed since January. “Let’s have a peaceful solution, electoral, democratic, constitutional.”

The rally took place one year to the date after Maduro’s successful re-election bid which he received 68 percent of the vote in an election boycotted by the opposition.

However, the US has made it evident that it prefers to exercise continued diplomatic and economic pressure to drive Maduro out and numerous experts have said the use of military force by the US is unlikely.

Guaidó is recognized as Venezuela’s interim president by at least 50 countries – blamed the “failure” on senior military officials’ decision to support Maduro’s regime as tens of thousands protested across Caracas.

Maduro retains the backing of the military’s top brass and control of state functions as well as allies China, Cuba and Russia.

Guaidó attempted to prompt an uprising against Maduro April 30 but only about 30 armed forces soldiers joined him and the uprising lost momentum swiftly.

The Constituent Assembly recently stripped 14 opposition lawmakers of their legislative immunity over their support for the failed uprising.

The Venezuelan opposition’s envoy to the US said he met State Department and Pentagon officials in Washington Monday to address “all aspects of the Venezuelan crisis.”

For more on this story go to; https://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/2019/05/29/venezuelan-leaning-towards-early-national-assembly-elections/