Venezuelan Opposition Lawmaker Claims Parliament Under Threat of Armed Takeover

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Henry Ramos Allup said on Wednesday that the country’s parliament, the opposition-led National Assembly, was under threat of an armed takeover by Venezuelan’s government forces.

"God forbid, they [the Venezuelan government] will not give an order this evening for a military seizure of the palace of Parliament… We are ready and self-collected," Ramos Allup wrote on Twitter.

The lawmaker claimed that in the past the Venezuelan armed forces had repeatedly invaded the territory of the legislative authority, "shooting and even seriously injuring several deputies."

A political crisis erupted in Venezuela after the speaker of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, proclaimed himself interim president in late January, contesting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's re-election last year. The opposition leader was almost immediately recognized by the United States and several other countries.

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On Monday, a number of EU member states recognized Guaido as Venezuela's acting leader after Maduro failed to organize a new presidential election in the country within an eight-day period set by the European Union. EU countries were expected to recognize Guaido in a joint statement, but, according to a diplomatic source in Brussels, Italy vetoed the motion.

Russia and China, as well as several other countries, have refused to support Guaido, backing Maduro as the country's legitimate president and demanding that other countries respect the principle of non-interference in Venezuela's internal affairs.