"According to the constitution, the elections for the National Assembly must be held this year ... I do not know whether the elections will take place this year", Maduro in an interview on Saturday.
He noted that the fight against the coronavirus was now a priority, and it would be "unwise" for him to insist under these circumstances that the elections must take place as scheduled.
When asked whether he would accept aid from Colombia if President Ivan Duque offered it, Maduro replied that Venezuela would welcome anything that helps public health. Earlier, Caracas expressed readiness to share COVID-19 testing equipment with Colombia, which has recorded 3,621 cases of infection and 166 deaths. Duque reportedly declined the offer.
"I would accept aid even from the devil if it helped the health of citizens. The aid is welcome. We will coordinate it without a delay", Maduro said.
As of Friday, sanctions-hit Venezuela confirmed only 227 COVID-19 cases, including nine fatalities. The epidemic comes as the country continues suffering from the socioeconomic crisis and crippling US sanctions.
In January 2019, Venezuela plunged into a political crisis when the then-head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, Juan Guaido, illegally proclaimed himself interim president in a bid to oust reelected President Maduro from power. The United States and most of the Western countries have endorsed Guaido and slapped crippling sanctions on Venezuela. Russia, China, Turkey, and other nations have supported Maduro.
Maduro calls Guaido a US puppet and accuses the US of using the opposition leader to carry out a coup and take control of the country's natural resources.
