VENEZUELA’S newly elected opposition state governors boycotted their swearing-in on Wednesday before the national constituent assembly.

All five Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) governors elected last Sunday refused to pledge to uphold the constitution before the assembly in Caracas, rather than the parliament. 

Antonio Barrera Sira (governor-elect of Anzoategui), Raman Guevara (Merida), Alfredo Diaz (Nueva Esparta), Laidy Gomez (Tachira) and Juan Pablo Guanipa (Zulia) “will only pledge before God and their respective legislative councils,” the Mud coalition insisted.