VENEZUELA: Constituent Assembly Endorses Maduro Government

(RTTNews) - Venezuela's National Constitutional Assembly (ANC) ratified President Nicolás Maduro mandate to ensure an "integral transformation" process, and the Venezuelan leader introduced a bill to punish those who "go out into the street to express intolerance and hatred" with up to 25 years in prison.

The bill aims to seek "reunification and peace" in Venezuela. "Those who take to the streets to express intolerance and hatred will be captured and trialed with severe sentences of 15, 20 and 25 years in prison," Maduro said.

Despite criticism from several foreign countries and local opposition, amid allegations related to voting manipulation in the July 30 election, Maduro installed the ANC last Friday.

The Venezuelan president also congratulated the constituents.

"Just six days have passed since the ANC was installed. It was a constituent that the people chose to put order and have done more in six days than in the 20 months that lasted the old National Assembly," he said.