Venezuelan judge wants opposition leader's immunity stripped

Juan Guaido, Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president. Photo / AP

Venezuela's chief justice asked lawmakers to strip opposition leader Juan Guaido of immunity, taking a step toward prosecuting him for alleged crimes as he seeks to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

Supreme Court Justice Maikel Moreno said Guaido should be prosecuted for violating a ban on leaving the country for a tour of Latin American nations that back a change in Venezuela's government.

Guaido is also accused by Maduro's Government of inciting violence linked to street protests and receiving illicit funds from abroad.

Guaido - who has immunity from prosecution as head of the National Assembly - continued his calls for Maduro to step down and accused the socialist leader of using the constant blackouts blanketing the country as political capital.

The opposition leader says years of neglect by the Government had left the grid in shambles not sabotage. He urged Venezuelans to take the streets until Maduro leaves power.

"We must unite now more than ever," Guaido said at a Caracas university. "We must mount the biggest demonstration so far to reject what's happening."

Since a massive power failure struck March 7, the nation has experienced near-daily blackouts and a breakdown in critical services such as running water and public transportation.

Classes have been intermittently suspended for nearly a week, while workdays tend to end in the early afternoon so millions aren't stranded due to cuts to the Caracas metro service.

At the same time, frustrated residents are increasingly unable to find water, make phone calls or access the internet. Millions of Venezuelans struggle to understand an announcement by Maduro a day earlier that the nation's electricity is being rationed to combat daily blackouts.

Maduro said that he was instituting a 30-day plan that would balance generation and transmission with consumption. He also called on Venezuelans to stay calm, but provided no further details.

- AP