The United States said on Tuesday that it still does not consider Nicolas Maduro the legitimate president of Venezuela and that it still recognizes the parliament elected in 2015, after the decision of the Venezuelan opposition to dissolve the "interim" presidency. of opponent Juan Guaido.

• Read also: Ex-Trump adviser says he planned “coups”

“Our approach to Nicolas Maduro has not changed. He is not the legitimate ruler of Venezuela. “, declared to the press the spokesman of the American diplomacy, Ned Price.

“We continue to recognize the only democratically elected institution in Venezuela today, and that is the 2015 National Assembly,” he added.

The State Department considers that the assets of the Venezuelan government in the United States, including those of the state oil company PDVSA, must remain under the authority of the opposition-controlled Venezuelan parliament, which claims to be legitimate by considering that the 2020 legislative elections, won by the Chavista camp of President Nicolas Maduro, were fraudulent.

“Our regime of sanctions and restrictions against Venezuela remains in place,” Mr. Price said. “From what I understand, elected members of the National Assembly are having internal discussions on how they are going to control these assets abroad”.

Maduro's government broke with the United States in 2019, when Donald Trump's administration recognized opponent Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president. In an attempt to drive Mr. Maduro from power, Washington had adopted a battery of sanctions against Caracas, including an embargo on Venezuelan oil.

Even if current President Joe Biden continues to formally not recognize Mr. Maduro as President of Venezuela, deeming his election in 2018 fraudulent, the oil crisis caused by the war in Ukraine has led to a warming of relations.

Failing to depose Maduro, deputies of the old parliament on Friday ended the "interim" presidency and government of Mr. Guaido, who had no real power but nevertheless controlled Venezuelan assets in the abroad, estimated at 24 billion dollars by Mr. Maduro.

The vote of the Assembly elected in 2015 occurs in a context of division of the opposition which did not know how to unite during the regional of 2021 won by the power and while the presidential election of 2024 whets the appetites.