Julio Borges

Venezuela's all-powerful constituent assembly is launching proceedings Wednesday to try opposition lawmakers over an alleged drone attack on President Nicolas Maduro that was denounced by exiled opposition leader Julio Borges as a staged "farce".

The Venezuelan opposition has received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which the European Parliament gives annually.

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council has said more than eight million people voted to grant President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling socialist party virtually unlimited powers with a constitutional assembly – a turnout more than double the estimates of both the government’s political opponents and independent experts.

Energized by a massive vote against President Nicolas Maduro in an unofficial plebiscite, Venezuela's opposition mulled on July 17 how to escalate protests and block a new congress it fears may enshrine Socialist Party hegemony.

Faced with mounting unrest, Venezuela's unpopular leftist President Nicolas Maduro vowed on May 23 to push ahead in July with the formation of a "constituent assembly" to rewrite the constitution before regional elections in December.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for a new constitution May 1 as he fights to quell a crisis that has led to more than a month of protests against him and deadly street violence.

Venezuela's pro-government Supreme Court revoked its takeover of the opposition-led Congress on April 1 after it drew international condemnation and protests against socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

"This controversy is over," Maduro said just after midnight at a specially convened state security committee, Reuters reported. 

Venezuela’s opposition-led National Assembly in a rowdy session on Sunday pressed to put Nicolas Maduro on trial for violating democracy, days after authorities nixed a recall referendum against the unpopular leftist president.