Two lawmakers in Venezuela have declared themselves parliamentary Speaker.
According to BBC News, US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó and rival Luis Parra both claimed themselves Speaker of the National Assembly on Sunday.
Mr Guaidó, who was up for re-election, said police barred him from entering the parliament.
His position at the head of the opposition-led National Assembly was the basis of his claim to be Venezuela’s legitimate head of state.
But after a year of failed attempts to oust President Maduro, he has been struggling to maintain unity among the opposition.
Mr Maduro, meanwhile, has maintained his position despite intense domestic and international pressure, thanks largely to support from the Venezuelan military.
On Sunday he was quick to back Luis Parra, a former Guaidó ally, saying Mr Guaidó had been “kicked out of the National Assembly by the votes of his own opposition”.
State broadcasters later described Mr Parra as the new Speaker.
The handling of the vote was condemned by the US, the EU, and several Latin American nations.
