Venezuela opposition names three exiled lawyers to lead National Assembly 

Venezuela’s opposition on Thursday appointed three exiled lawyers to lead the National Assembly and supervise the country’s foreign assets. 

The new leadership is made up of assembly president Dinorah Figuera and Vice Presidents Marianelah Fernandez and Auristela Vasquez, from the opposition parties Justice First, A New Era, and Democratic Action, respectively. 

"I am convinced that this assembly, along with all the political parties ... will raise the flags of unity," Figuera said during the virtual session.

At the end of last month, Venezuela’s political opposition voted to remove the interim government led by Juan Gaido ahead of the tentative 2024 presidential elections. 

Juan Guaido, who has been the face of Venezuela’s opposition, was appointed as congress chief and interim president after the controversial 2018 presidential elections. However, he has fallen out of favor with many opposition members for failing to remove Maduro from power. 

The three new leaders of Venezuela’s National Assembly have lived abroad since the beginning of Guaido’s interim government after being harassed by dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro. 

The new leadership also plans to create a board of directors to manage Venezuela’s assets abroad, including Citgo, a subsidiary of the state-owned oil company PDVSA, and more than $1 billion in gold stored at the Bank of England. 

Guaido has claimed that replacing his interim government with leadership by the committee would be unconstitutional and would make way to recognize Maduro’s dictatorship.