- Title: Venezuela's foreign minister Rodriguez quits
- Date: 22nd June 2017
- Summary: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO (JUNE 21, 2017) (REUTERS) RODRIGUEZ AND DELEGATES WALKING THROUGH FOYER TO LEAVE MEETING RODRIGUEZ LEAVING BUILDING WITH OFFICIALS
- Embargoed: 6th July 2017 03:16
- Keywords: Organization of American States Delcy Rodriguez Nicolas Maduro
- Location: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
- City: CANCUN, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0026MCYYPZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez left her post on Wednesday (June 21) to run for a seat in a controversial new congress, drawing praise from her boss as a "tiger" for her feisty defense of the socialist government.
She announced the decision at the OAS's General Assembly in Cancun, where she sparred with other member states critical of Venezuela's human rights record.
Like some other senior Maduro allies, Rodriguez will now be running for a seat in a new Constituent Assembly in an election set for July 30.
Historian and deputy foreign minister Samuel Moncada will replace her, President Nicolas Maduro reported, announcing the diplomatic shake-up in a speech on state TV.
Venezuela's opposition is boycotting the vote for the constituent assembly, saying it is rigged in Maduro's favour and intended purely to keep the ruling Socialist Party in power despite its current unpopularity.
The president says the new assembly, a super body with powers to rewrite the constitution and override other institutions, is necessary to bring peace after nearly three months of anti-government unrest that have killed 75 people. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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