The Supreme Tribunal of Justice in Caracas reiterated on Monday that it has ruled the National Assembly of Venezuela is illegal and that all its decisions are void. Judges said Juan Guaido, who was elected parliament president by the lawmakers on January 5, also has "no authority" and that the body's decisions have no validity.
The member of the opposition Popular Will party declared Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro a usurper and claimed the constitution allows him to exercise the powers of the head of state instead. The current leader has taken the oath at the supreme court instead of in parliament. Maduro's administration recognizes only the Constituent National Assembly, which was elected last year amid the opposition's boycott and consists solely of members of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela. The other parliament has been assembled in 2015.
Guaido today supported a mutiny by a unit of guardsmen, who were later captured. He said the insurrection is indicative of "the general feeling" within the armed forces as "the chain of command has been broken."