Venezuelan President Files Lawsuit Against Opposition-led Parliament

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro filed a lawsuit to the Supreme Court on Friday against alleged usurpation of power by National Assembly (parliament) which is under opposition control.

MEXICO (Sputnik) – On June 1 President Maduro accused the country’s parliament of treason saying he wants to "demonstrate to the entire nation the usurpation of power [by the parliament] and treason, which the National Assembly fell into." The president's accusations came after parliament's speaker Enry Ramos called for a foreign assistance in resolving the economic crisis the country has been struggling with.

"The lawsuit for clarification of Constitution of Bolivarian republic of Venezuela in order to stop the attempts of legislative branch to infringe on the constitutional functions of President Nicolas Maduro was filed to the Supreme Court," local media outlet Noticias24 cited the words of juridical adviser to the Venezuelan President's administration Elvis Amoroso.

The parliament allegedly violated Constitution Article 336 which guarantees that the President is empowered to conduct foreign policy.

Venezuela has been in political turmoil since the election of a new opposition-controlled parliament in January. In mid-March, Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) approved the first reading of a draft law on holding a referendum to oust Maduro. Public support for the president has also dropped to record lows.