BUENOS AIRES (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th May, 2019) Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza criticized on Friday the demand made by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to release Edgar Zambrano, the deputy speaker of the Venezuelan opposition-controlled National Assembly.
Earlier in the day, Pompeo called for the release of Zambrano who was detained in the wake of the failed coup in the South American country.
"Impudence and despair. This is what Pompeo and his team of hawks demonstrates, seeing that the people of Venezuela are destroying [United States] coup attempts [in Venezuela] again and again," he tweeted.
On Wednesday, Diosdado Cabello, the head of the government-led National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela, said that Zambrano, a close ally of US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, had been detained in the wake of the opposition's failed attempt to oust President Nicolas Maduro from power.
Venezuela has been plunged into severe unrest since January, after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself "interim president." His bid is recognized by the majority of Latin American countries as well as many EU states.
Tensions in Venezuela reached a new peak late April after the Venezuelan opposition initiated a fresh coup attempt to ouster Maduro, which failed.
