Some 80% Of Maduro Government's Foreign Accounts Blocked - Opposition Lawmaker

Eighty percent of foreign accounts of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government have been blocked, National Assembly lawmaker Carlos Paparoni said Monday

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2019) Eighty percent of foreign accounts of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government have been blocked, National Assembly lawmaker Carlos Paparoni said Monday.

"To date, we have established 72 bank accounts, which represent 80 percent of the liquid assets of the state. These accounts are already protected, so that Maduro could not continue to steal the money of the people," Paparoni told a press conference in Caracas, as quoted on his Twitter.

The opposition managed to halt the transfer of the money from the Nuovo Bank in Portugal, to the Bandes bank in Uruguay, according to the lawmaker.

Tensions in Venezuela escalated over two weeks ago when Venezuelan opposition parliament speaker Juan Guaido declared himself interim president, disputing last year's re-election of incumbent leader Nicolas Maduro. Guaido was almost immediately recognized by the United States and a number of other countries. Russia, China, Mexico, Turkey and Uruguay were among those that have voiced their support for Maduro as the country's legitimately elected president.