CARACAS, Venezuela _ Domestic and international condemnation of court rulings that bolstered the power of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro spread Friday, with protesters facing off against security forces and the nation's top prosecutor calling the court's actions a "rupture" of the democratic process.
The rulings by the Maduro-aligned Supreme Court stripped the opposition-controlled national legislature of its powers _ an extraordinary move that critics called a de facto coup. The Venezuelan government rejected the criticism.
The critical comments by the prosecutor, Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz, took many in Caracas by surprise because she has long been considered a staunch ally of Maduro's government. But Friday she said the Supreme Court decisions "constitute a rupture of the constitutional order," adding: "We call for reflection so that democratic paths be taken, respecting differences."
What long-term effects her critique would have was unclear, but her denunciation seemed to support government opponents.
On Wednesday, Venezuela's highest court ruled that legislation passed by the opposition-controlled National Assembly was "outside the law" and that the court had the right to assume congressional duties. The judgments set off an international firestorm.
The dispute quickly accelerated the political chaos that has battered Venezuela, an oil-rich South American nation that has been suffering from food shortages, triple-digit inflation and rampant street crime.
Maduro's socialist government has blamed its problems on interference from the United States, long an opponent of Venezuela's socialist leadership, calling Caracas the victim of a U.S.-led "economic war." Maduro is the political protege of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a long-time antagonist of Washington.
Domestic opponents have pushed for a recall election, labeling Maduro a would-be dictator who has jailed opposition leaders, deployed security forces against protesters and has shown no respect for the democratic process. But the government has resisted calls for a new election.
A new round of small protests hit the capital early Friday, but larger demonstrations were expected through the weekend.
Venezuela has experienced months of protests by anti-government and pro-government activists. But anti-government demonstrations have not achieved the opposition's goal of a referendum to recall Maduro, whose term in office does not end until 2019.
Venezuela's socialist leadership has rejected allegations that the court rulings represent a coup, describing the magistrates' actions as an appropriate response to illegal efforts to oust Maduro's government. Even before the latest rulings, the Supreme Court had voided much of the work of the National Assembly, frustrating the anti-Maduro protesters.
Russia issued a statement calling for outside governments to stay out of Venezuelan affairs.
"External forces should not add fuel to the fire to the conflict inside Venezuela," the Russian statement said. "We are confident in the principle of non-interference in internal affairs."
This week's court rulings here have been criticized Latin America and the rest of the world. The head of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, called for an emergency meeting to address what he called a "self-inflicted coup d'etat perpetrated by the Venezuelan regime against the National Assembly, the last branch of government to be legitimized by the will of the people of Venezuela."
The U.S. State Department Thursday condemned the court's decision, saying the move "greatly damages Venezuela's democratic institutions."
A State Department statement reiterated Washington's demands that Venezuela hold elections as soon as possible, release political prisoners and allow the National Assembly to perform its constitutional functions.
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(Mogollon is special correspondent. McDonnell reported from Mexico City. Kate Linthicum in Mexico City and Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.)
