Venezuela's Maduro regime announced on Thursday that it is barring opposition leader and National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó from holding public office for 15 years, AP reports.
The state of play: Per AP, the Venezuelan government cited alleged irregularities in Guaidó's financial records as a reason for his removal from office. Guaidó was reportedly under investigation by the government earlier this month for an alleged attack on Venezuela's power grid.
The big picture: The Trump administration has repeatedly called the physical safety of Guaidó, who has yet to respond to Maduro's announcement, a "red line."
- National Security Adviser John Bolton said in January that any violence against the National Assembly or Guaidó "would signify a grave assault on the rule of law and will be met with a significant response.”
- Sen. Lindsey Graham told Axios in January that Trump mused to him about the possibility of using military force in Venezuela.
Go deeper: Inside Trump's Venezuela policy pivot