Maduro regime bars opposition leader Guaidó from public office

Juan Guaidó conducts a session of the Venezuelan National Assembly. Photo: Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images

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

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