The Venezuelan National Assembly split on Sunday when the National Guard blocked opposition Assembly Members from participating in a key vote to name the next Assembly president.
In videos widely circulated on social media, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó attempts to jump a fence to reach the congressional palace, but is blocked by soldiers in riot gear and shields.
Gabriel Marcano, 25, is from Cagua, Venezuela near the capital, Caracas. He has been living in Rochester since 2012. He says he first saw video of the scene at the National Assembly in a Whatsapp group message.
“Here in the Rochester community we have a group of Venezuelans who stay in touch," Marcano says. "Someone shared the news initially. Tthey shared the videos of Juan Guaidó trying to get into Parliament.”
The blockade took place during a vote to name the next Assembly President. Guaidó, who already held the title, was anticipated to win. For nearly a year, he has been recognized by nearly 60 countries including the U.S. as the legitimate interim President of Venezuela.
Instead, the vote went to Luis Parra, who has been accused of corruption. Marcano says that he’s saddened by what’s unfolding.
“The Parliament represents the last democratically-elected body and it somehow managed to continue to exist even though there’s Opposition, you know, there’s non-supporters of the government in it,” he says
Kelly Tovar Mullaney is also from Venezuela, and lives in Rochester. For her, the news is enraging.
“The Congressmen were elected by the people, they are our representatives," she says. "If they are not able to perform their duties then there is no representation of the people.”
“The Congressmen were elected by the people, they are our representatives. If they are not able to perform their duties then there is no representation of the people,” Tovar Mullaney says.
In an emergency vote at the office of the newspaper, El Nacional, a majority of Assembly members reelected Guaidó. The U.S. quickly recognized Guaido’s election, while Russia backed Parra.
Marcano says he hopes that international entities will continue to recognize democratically-elected leaders in Venezuela. He says he’s concerned for the safety of his family and friends back home where food and medicne remain scarce and hyperinflation was projected at 10 million percent by the end of 2019 according to the IMF.
On January 10th, 2019, Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro was re-inaugurated after a contested election which was widely sen as rigged by opposition and international entities. Maduro had banned two of the most prominent opposition leaders including Leopoldo Lopez from participating. He also alluded to taking away food subsidies if people did not vote for him, according to the New York Times.
Shortly after Maduro's reinauguration, Juan Guaido announced on January 23rd, 2020, that as President of the National Assembly, he was the highest-level official who was democratically elected as as such would assume interim presidency of the state in accordance with articles of the constitution.
In the months to follow, Guaido attempted to sway the Venezuelan army to his side; however, the National Guard has largely remained loyal to Maduro, who has retained power and whose term continues until 2025.
Tovar Mullaney says that the situation unfolding is far from democratic. “It’s another way that the regime of Maduro is trying to block democracy,” she says.
