Venezuelan 'Opposition Government' FM Resigns, Slamming It for Corruption and Incompetence

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - The foreign minister for Venezuela's US-backed interim government under Juan Guaido, Julio Borges, has announced his resignation, with a warning that the interim government must be dissolved.

"The interim government must disappear completely and its functions that must be continued, such as dealing with humanitarian and international issues, should be picked up by a new political platform managed by the civil society for effective implementation", Borges said during an online press conference that was broadcast live by the channel EVTV.

Borges noted that the actions of Guaido's interim government led to "unacceptable acts of corruption that have seriously harmed the democratic struggle".

The former official added that Venezuela's opposition must focus on building leadership that does not depend on the will of other nations.

Borges is due to present his proposal for the dissolution of the interim government on Tuesday before a commission of lawmakers who used to be part of the National Assembly when it was controlled by the Venezuelan government opposition from 2016 to 2020.

FILE PHOTO: Representative of the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, Julio Borges is seen before a meeting of the Lima Group in Brasilia, Brazil, November 8, 2019

© REUTERS / ADRIANO MACHADO

Venezuela has been mired in a political crisis since early 2019 when Juan Guaido, former head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, proclaimed himself interim president in an attempt to oust re-elected President Nicolas Maduro.

Most Western countries, with the US at the helm, endorsed Guaido and imposed crippling sanctions on Venezuela, targeting the country's oil and financial industries. Russia, China, Turkey, and several other nations have supported Maduro.