President Juan Manuel Santos said Friday that the constituent assembly is of "illegitimate origin" and therefore will not be recognized. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is known to level frequent barbs at his Colombian counterpart, casting him as a slave to imperial foreign rule. The White House says U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has spoken with Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez about the political unrest wracking the South American nation. ———4:05 p.m.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is paying homage to the late Hugo Chavez on what would have been his predecessor's 63rd birthday. ———11:30 a.m.Venezuela's chief prosecutor is reporting at least 114 deaths in nearly four months of protests against President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Source: ABC News July 28, 2017 16:51 UTC