Diosdado Cabello was reelected President of the Assembly

Diosdado Cabello, 49, former lieutenant who participated in Chavez’ failed coup attempt in 1992 and considered one of the most influential figures of Chavez’ government along with vice president Nicolas Maduro, has been reelected as president of the National Aseembly of Venezuela.

Diosdado Cabello accepting his reelection.

Cabello sworn to “never disappoint the people and to keep our knees on the ground defending the proposal made by Commander Chavez, I swear it“, he said, minutes after accepting his reelection.

The post of first vice president was taken by Dario Vivas and as second vice president, Blanca Eekhout, both leaders of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV for its Spanish acronym).

Opposition members criticized the lack of “plurality” of that board, since all its members, including the secretaries belong to the PSUV.

National Assembly of Venezuela

The election comes at a time of great uncertainty in Venezuela due to the severity of the health of Chavez, hospitalized in Cuba since Dec. 11.

Despite criticism from the opposition, which demands that Cabello takes office and call an election if President Hugo Chavez fails to present the inaugural ceremony on January 10, Cabello “recalls that Article 234 of the Constitution establishes that the temporary absence of the President are supplied by the vice president, and the president can be absent 90 consecutive days, extendable for another 90 days. But if the absence exceeds those 90 consecutive days, Parliament will decide whether this constitutes a complete absence of the president.“