US says still considers Venezuela's Maduro 'illegitimate'

The United States said Tuesday it still did not consider Nicolas Maduro to be the legitimate president of Venezuela and recognized the authority of the 2015 National Assembly after the opposition dissolved an "interim government."

The State Department said that Venezuelan government assets in the United States, including of the state oil company, would remain under the authority of the opposition-led National Assembly, which was elected in 2015 but has been disempowered by Maduro's leftist government.

"Our approach to Nicolas Maduro is not changing. He is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

"We continue to recognize what is the only remaining democratically elected institution in Venezuela today, and that's the 2015 National Assembly," Price said.

Asked about Venezuelan assets, Price said, "Our overall Venezuela-related sanctions and related restrictions remain in place."

"I understand that members of the National Assembly are discussing amongst themselves how they will oversee these overseas assets."

The United States, under former president Donald Trump, set a goal of toppling Maduro in 2019 -- after elections widely seen as fraudulent and an economic crisis that has seen millions flee the country.

Joined by most Western and Latin American nations at the time, the United States recognized the National Assembly's Juan Guaido as interim president.

But after little headway at deposing Maduro, the National Assembly -- now largely a symbolic force in Caracas -- dissolved Guaido's "interim government."