Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Pro-government Lawmakers Return to Venezuelan Congress After Two-year Absence

Reuters

   CARACAS - Pro-government lawmakers returned to Venezuela's
   opposition-controlled congress on Tuesday, after President Nicolas
   Maduro announced an end to a two-year boycott, saying he wanted to
   promote dialogue in the deeply divided country.

   As supporters of Maduro's socialist administration shouted at
   opposition lawmakers from the National Assembly balconies, almost 40 of
   around 50 pro-government deputies took their seats for the first time
   since 2017.

   That year, Maduro declared the 167-seat assembly to be illegitimate
   after the Supreme Court ruled it to be in contempt of the law for
   incorporating several lawmakers accused of buying votes, an allegation
   they denied. The court later accused the assembly of passing
   legislation that violated the Venezuelan constitution.

   Maduro's government then created a parallel pro-government legislature
   to override opposition delegates' decisions.

   Maduro on Monday insisted the assembly was still illegal, but said
   pro-government lawmakers would retake their seats as part of a deal
   struck with a small group of opposition delegates to promote dialogue.

   "Let's go to the debate, let's go to the fight," Maduro said on state
   television.

.