President Nicolas Maduro lambasted President Donald Trump on Sunday (30 July) as elections were held in Venezuela. He criticised Washington for calling a vote on a constituent assembly with powers to change the constitution a "sham". The Trump administration called the election a "step toward dictatorship" and Washington has touted another round of sanctions against Caracas to drum up pressure. But a defiant Maduro spoke to the nation, stating that he "does not care" what Trump thinks of the election. 

The Venezuelan opposition has criticised the vote which it sees as a means to cement Maduro's power in the divided OPEC nation, which is reeling from food shortages, a flailing economy and rampant crime. One of Maduro';s fiercest critics comes from within the ranks of his Socialist Party, dissident state prosecutor Luisa Ortega. She has criticised Maduro for heavy-handed tactics against protesters and criticised the vote for a constituent assembly, fearing its ramifications for democracy. Speaking after the vote, Maduro called on the new assembly to consider restructuring of Ortega's Attorney General department and to declare a state of emergency over the country, where more than 120 people have been killed.A host of other nations such as Argentina, Colombia and Spain have also declared they will not recognise the results of Venezuela's constituent assembly election.