CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s socialist government claimed a popular mandate to dramatically recast the country’s political system even as the United States pledged potentially devastating oil sanctions on Monday and condemnations of the process poured in from governments around the world and the opposition at home.
Electoral authorities said more than 8 million people voted Sunday to create a constitutional assembly endowing President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling party with virtually unlimited powers — a figure widely disputed by independent analysts. Continue reading “Venezuela defiant as US moves to sanction oil industry”