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US Puppet Guaido Stripped of Immunity
By Stephen Lendman
Global Research, April 03, 2019

Url of this article:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-puppet-guaido-stripped-of-immunity/5673532

Usurper in waiting Guaido is a front man for the Trump regime’s coup attempt to topple democratically elected  President Maduro. 

Most of all, the scheme aims to eliminate Bolivarian social democracy, wanting Venezuela transformed into a US vassal state, gaining control over its world’s largest oil reserves and other valued resources.

Tactics include naked aggression, color revolutions, and old-fashioned coups like what’s ongoing in Venezuela – so far failing to achieve its objective because Maduro increasingly enjoys popular support. The nation’s military backs him.

Around three-fourths of world community nations and the UN refused to recognize imposter Guaido as interim Venezuelan president.

He’s increasingly drawing smaller crowds, according to observers on the ground. Most Venezuelans want Bolivarian social democracy preserved and protected. They oppose foreign intervention in any form, overwhelmingly against it militarily.

On Monday, Venezuelan Chief Supreme Court Justice Maikel Moreno called on the nation’s Constituent Assembly to strip Guaido of parliamentary immunity for flouting a High Court order, banning his foreign travel without court permission, illicit financial activities, inciting street violence, and other offenses.

Established by national referendum to revise or rewrite Venezuela’s Constitution, restore and maintain order, as well as serving everyone in the country equitably, the Constituent Assembly is the Bolivarian Republic’s highest legal authority.

According to Article 349 of Venezuela’s Constitution, no other power can “in any way impede the decisions of the National Constituent Assembly” – not the president, National Assembly legislators and Supreme Court justices.

In 2016, Venezuela’s High Court declared National Assembly actions “null and void” for illegally seating three members accused of electoral fraud.

Article 200 of Venezuela’s Constitution states the following:

“Deputies of the National Assembly shall enjoy immunity in the exercise of their functions from the time of their installation until the end of their term or resignation.”

“Only the Supreme Tribunal of Justice shall have competence over any crimes may be charged as committed by members of the National Assembly, and only the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, subject to authorization in advance from the National Assembly, shall have the power to order their arrest and prosecution.”

“In the case of a flagrant offense committed by a legislator, the competent authority shall place such legislator under house arrest and immediately notify the Supreme Tribunal of Justice of such event.”

Because National Assembly actions are “null and void,” Venezuela’s Constituent Assembly assumed its powers.

On Tuesday, the body acted on Justice Moreno’s request, stripping Guaido of parliamentary immunity, its President Diosdado Cabello saying:

“Constituent Assembly rules…permit further investigation against (Guaido). Under normal circumstances, this request would have been sent to the National Assembly, but at present it is nonexistent as a functioning state body.”

“The ruling permits prosecution of (Guaido) in accordance with the provisions of Article 200 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”

“The continuation of the trial is formally authorized and that our justice, in accordance with the Constitution and the law, is in charge of applying the mechanisms established in the different criminal procedural codes.”

“Justice is necessary for the guarantee of peace…Sometimes the law takes time, but let’s not despair.”

The unanimously adopted measure ruled the following:

“The National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela allows the continuation of a judicial investigation against Juan Guaido.”

Assembly deputies called for creating a people’s court to prosecute individuals involved in the Trump regime’s coup plot, wanting them held accountable for their lawless actions.

So far, no warrant was issued for Guaido’s arrest. He remains under investigation, pending whatever actions Constituent Assembly members intend to pursue against him.

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article.