"I've decided to leave Venezuela to disavow the government of Nicolas Maduro," Zerpa said in an interview with EVTV, which is broadcast over cable and the internet. "I believe (Maduro) does not deserve a second chance because the election he supposedly won was not free and competitive." The Supreme Court confirmed in a statement that he had fled, referring to him as a former magistrate and adding it opened an investigation of him in November over accusations of sexual harassment by women in his office. Zerpa was for years a crucial ally of Maduro on the Supreme Court, which has backed the ruling Socialist Party in every major legal dispute since Maduro's 2013 election. But diplomats consulted by Reuters said few countries were likely to shutter embassies or sever ties with Venezuela.

Source: bd News24 January 07, 2019 03:22 UTC