Mexico City, Sep 2 (UNI) A group of eight Venezuelan federal ministers, including the former vice president and minister of communications, Jorge Rodriguez, will leave their posts to participate in the upcoming elections to the National Assembly, President Nicolas Maduro said.
"They consulted with me, and, according to the constitution, must leave their posts three months prior to the election date, September 5," Maduro said in a televised speech broadcast in his Twitter.
Elections to the Venezuelan National Assembly, led from January 2019 to January 2020 by opposition leader Juan Guaido, will take place on December 6. A total of 26 opposition parties decided not to run in these elections.
On January 21, 2019, mass protests began in Venezuela against President Maduro shortly after he was sworn in. The then speaker of the National Assembly, Guaido, illegally proclaimed himself interim head of state. A number of Western countries, led by the United States, recognized Guaido. Maduro called the head of parliament a US puppet.
Russia, China, Turkey and some other countries have supported Maduro as the legitimate president. Moscow called Guido's "presidential status" non-existent.
UNI XC-RHK0940