Just after losing control of Venezuela's legislature, President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday issued a decree aimed at stopping anyone from desecrating ex-president Hugo Chavez's remains and tomb.
The opposition in the legislature will now be able to call a referendum, launch constitutional reforms, replace senior judges and even take measures to try to depose socialist Maduro.
"We will just have to see what happens if one day there pops up a National Assembly decision to take Commander (Hugo) Chavez out of that historic installation, trying to profane his sacred remains," Maduro said on his weekly television show.
Sunday's election was a dramatic blow for the socialist "revolution" launched in 1999 by his late predecessor Chavez.
Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves, which Chavez and Maduro used to fund social welfare programs -- as well as build a regional diplomatic alliance on the left.
But plunging oil prices have crippled the country since Maduro was elected in 2013, maintaining the top-down economic policies that were in place.
Voters punished him for an economic crisis that has families suffering shortages of basic foods and goods, lining up for hours for toilet paper that is not on shelves.
Maduro, who has special powers until December 31 to issue decree laws on national security matters, said the new law will put the Hugo Chavez Foundation in charge of the remains of Chavez, who died March 5, 2013.
Chavez's remains lie at a memorial in the Montana military barracks, perched atop a crowded hillside neighborhood, on the west side of Caracas.
Maduro blamed the election result on an "economic war" which he says shadowy capitalist forces are waging against him.
Just after losing control of Venezuela’s legislature, President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday issued a decree aimed at stopping anyone from desecrating ex-president Hugo Chavez’s remains and tomb.
The opposition in the legislature will now be able to call a referendum, launch constitutional reforms, replace senior judges and even take measures to try to depose socialist Maduro.
“We will just have to see what happens if one day there pops up a National Assembly decision to take Commander (Hugo) Chavez out of that historic installation, trying to profane his sacred remains,” Maduro said on his weekly television show.
Sunday’s election was a dramatic blow for the socialist “revolution” launched in 1999 by his late predecessor Chavez.
Venezuela has the world’s biggest oil reserves, which Chavez and Maduro used to fund social welfare programs — as well as build a regional diplomatic alliance on the left.
But plunging oil prices have crippled the country since Maduro was elected in 2013, maintaining the top-down economic policies that were in place.
Voters punished him for an economic crisis that has families suffering shortages of basic foods and goods, lining up for hours for toilet paper that is not on shelves.
Maduro, who has special powers until December 31 to issue decree laws on national security matters, said the new law will put the Hugo Chavez Foundation in charge of the remains of Chavez, who died March 5, 2013.
Chavez’s remains lie at a memorial in the Montana military barracks, perched atop a crowded hillside neighborhood, on the west side of Caracas.
Maduro blamed the election result on an “economic war” which he says shadowy capitalist forces are waging against him.
