Lawmakers entered parliament on Wednesday, a day after opposition leader Juan Guaido accused Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's government of trying to "gag" the legislature after it was blocked by security forces.
A smiling Guaido could be seen in midmorning entering the Federal Palace building that houses the National Assembly - the only government branch under opposition control - alongside other lawmakers on a video shared by his press team.
"Yesterday the dictatorship tried to prevent our session but they couldn't and they can't," Guaido wrote on twitter. "Today we will sit in session honoring once more the support and confidence of the whole of Venezuela." SEBIN security agents and the National Guard, which provides security for the building, had prevented lawmakers from entering on Tuesday.
It was the latest move in a series of measures taken by the Maduro regime against opposition lawmakers since Guaido's failed April 30 uprising. Venezuela has been in political turmoil since parliament speaker Guaido declared himself acting president in January in a direct challenge to Maduro's authority.
The Constituent Assembly, set up by Maduro to replace the sidelined National Assembly, has stripped a dozen opposition lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity. The Supreme Court has likewise charged 14 deputies with involvement in the failed uprising when Guaido was joined by around 30 members of the armed forces in a revolt that quickly fizzled out. It did however spark two days of deadly clashes between protesters and security forces.
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