CARACAS, Venezuela _ Venezuela lurched closer to full-blown crisis Friday when the prosecutor general, a longtime ally of the ruling socialist party, labeled unconstitutional the Supreme Court's move to usurp the powers of the opposition-led National Assembly. Small, sporadic protests flared up across the capital city of Caracas as the prosecutor, Luisa Ortega Diaz, spoke and investors dumped the government's bonds.
The comments by Ortega Diaz, in which she said the court ruling "ruptured" the constitutional order, were a rare _ almost unheard of _ public condemnation by a high-ranking government official of the direction the faltering country is heading. While her statements likely will have no immediate legal impact, they still deliver a potentially major setback to embattled President Nicolas Maduro, who has long sought to use the courts to prevent congress from challenging his rule.
"It's my duty to manifest concern of such event," Ortega Diaz, who was appointed to her post a decade ago by the late Hugo Chavez, said to applause at a news conference in Caracas. She also called on Venezuelans to overcome political differences "so that democratic paths can be taken that respect the constitution and foster an atmosphere of respect and rescue plurality."
The oil-producing nation, which has been ravaged by an economic depression and food shortages for years, has been on tenterhooks since the Supreme Court ruling late Wednesday evening, further fueling claims by Maduro's opponents as well as foreign governments that Venezuela is moving toward dictatorship. The decision has drawn criticism from governments including the U.S., Brazil and Argentina, with the Organization of American States also calling it a "self-coup." The fractured opposition is making calls for street protests on Saturday and seeking support from regional governments to put pressure on the Maduro administration.
During a nationwide address on Thursday, Maduro didn't mention the Supreme Court decision or respond to the criticism. His foreign minister denounced a "concert" from the regional right wing attacking Venezuela's "democratic system."
